Not Easily Broken
by AyoChideBruv
Summary: Tony and Ziva's life is turned upside down by something they never saw coming. Tali must fight to stay alive. The NCIS team must hunt down and stop some terrorists. Everyone is pushed to the limits. We all know that everyone breaks at some point ... but can they make everything right before they're all completely broken?
1. Welcome to Hell!

**_Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS but character plots and teenage Tali is all mine. ?_**

To be honest, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic. I know it has been years since TIVA left NCIS but the love and desire for them to return is still on my heart daily. This story is set in the future where Tali is a teenage girl. It will eventually journey to the past to connect Tali's childhood after Tony left with her. There will be trauma, drama, and angst but ultimately love, purpose, hope and family. We will see the ups, downs, and everything else inbetween as the story goes along ... that is if you guys tell me to continue after this first chapter.

 _ **WARNING: Some content may cause triggers as certain torture/rape may be suggested or described.**_

—

Chapter I - Welcome To Hell

"Ugh", Tali let the noise escape her lips as she began to stir from her sleep. She felt off. A heavy pounding persistent in her head and a shooting pain coursing through the right side of her torso. _What happened?_ Her eyes remained closed while she desperately tried to reform the images of what seemed to be a nightmare she'd just woken up from. _I feel like crap._ She shook her head trying to refocus and release the haze that seemed to cloud her brain. It was as if she'd been drugged. _Didn't they inject me with something in the dream ... Come on Tal, get it together._

She shook her head again and went to lift her hand to wipe her brow but suddenly realized she was bound. Instantly, her eyes popped open to survey her surroundings. She wasn't home in her bed. _It wasn't a dream._ She tried frantically to get out of the ropes that held her to what she now realized was a chair but they didn't budge. Instead they quickly began to inflict a raw burning sensation on her wrists which instantly made her cringe. She looked in front of her to see if she could find anything to help free her ...

 _Nothing._ Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she began to assess the room again and tried to remember how she'd gotten there.

The floor looked just as the wall she could see before her — dismal gray cement covered in dust and dirt. As far as she could tell, there was only one way in and one way out. Fear crept up her spine as the large wooden door came into focus. The door itself isn't what she feared, but rather the smear of fresh blood on it that her eyes had finally noticed. Proof that someone had occupied this space before her and had only recently been removed. _Am I going to die here?_

A knot formed in her throat and she stiffened as her thoughts were interrupted by a violent commotion on the other side of the door. "Where is the girl", demanded an unfamiliar voice. _Please be rescue._ There was a split second of silence and then she heard three gun shots. She let out a small whimper as she heard the "thud" of each body dropping like dominos.

 _Oh God, please be rescue._

Her hopes were dashed when the door swung open and a massive fair skinned man entered with a sadistic smile, "It's nice to see you're finally awake young Tali. I was starting to get impatient." His voice resembled that of the one she had just heard from behind the door. The gun he held now must have been the same that opened fire on the three bodies she saw laying in the hall.

 _He isn't my rescue._

She tried to mask her fear as she looked him over. From her childhood, her parents had taught her that if she'd ever been kidnapped she needed to get as many physical details of her captors as possible.

 _Bold head. Mole on left cheek under dark brown eyes. Scar tissue on neck from old knife wound. Swastika tattoo on right forearm._

If she was to ever escape or be rescued, and he got away, she'd need to be able to provide distinct information so he could be tracked down and justice served. Her focus was so intense that she had almost slipped into a trance.

"Hey", the man yelled sharply to regain her attention.

Her head snapped back up and her eyes locked onto his cold dead eyes. "Who are you", she tried desperately to hide the trembling in her vocal cords.

"My name does not matter young Tali", he stated plainly as he got uncomfortably close to her and leaned down so his face was just an inch from hers. "What matters is that I finally have you ... the key."

She tried to shift in the chair but the ropes were too tight. _I have to get out of here._ She looked to the floor again and shook her head as if to shake the fear off her. She remembered her parent's teachings which seemed to be overprotective overkill a few years ago but now seemed to be the only thing she could remember.

 _"Get as much information as possible without making yourself more of a target. Remain calm and stay focused. Give them the information they desire but only if it helps aid in your release. If it does not help you to help them, then hold out as long as possible."_

She let out a small sigh and looked directly in his eyes, "what am I the key to?"

"All in good time young Tali", he chuckled as he stood straight up. "All in good time." He holstered his gun then pulled a large switch blade from his pocket. "First, I must apologize."

Tali's head titled to the side in confusion but she remained silent.

"You see", he continued, "I've come to realize that my men did not follow my instructions on how to procure you. I specifically told them to inject my knockout serum into you while you slept and bring you to my office without harming you as you are precious to me. But it seems, judging your appearance, they did not follow orders. So, for their insolence, I do apologize."

Her head was spinning and she looked straight ahead as he walked behind her. He placed his hand on the exposed skin of her shoulder where her shirt had been torn, and Tali flinched. His cold hands meeting her flesh causing her to realize something she hadn't noticed since waking up ...

 _I'm half naked._

Her eyes widened at the realization and she tried shifting again but the ropes did their job in holding her in place. He tightened his grip on her shoulder causing her to grimace. "My young Tali", he spoke quietly with his lips far too close to her ear for comfort, "you really are beautiful." He kissed her ear softly and bile rose in her. "I hope we can get through this without me having to kill you. I'd really hate to have to kill such an angelic vessel."

His words made her gag and cringe. He felt her tense under his hold as she tried to swallow down the need to vomit. Slowly he made his way back in front of her and let his hand graze her face. She moved her head swiftly and pleaded, "please don't hurt me!"

"Young Tali, I cannot promise that it won't hurt", he grabbed her face firmly as a single tear streamed down her cheek. "But I will try to be gentle if you cooperate. Will you cooperate with me my little adorable key?"

 _What choice do I have? He will surely kill me._ She slowly and reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.

He smiled and his eyes showed the pure demon within, "good choice." His hand moved from her face to her tied hands to hold the rope, "now, as a sign of good faith, I will cut these bindings. Promise me you will not do anything foolish or you will find yourself dead, understood?"

"I promise", she spoke through silent tears. Her voice almost inaudible. He roughly took the switchblade and cut her free causing a whimper to escape her lips as she rubbed her now rope burned wrists. Aside from that, she still did not move.

He looked down at her and smirked, "good girl." He then walked towards the door. "I will return to check on you later. But for now", he paused to knock on the door to signal someone, "I want you to play nice." The door swung open and, from outside, a badly beaten young man was tossed in by two masked men. "Enjoy your new roommate my dear."

Tali finally moved from the chair and ran to the injured teen. She immediately noticed the blood coming from his head. "Please you have to help him! He's bleeding!"

The man laughed, "I know. That was my handy work." He watched as Tali finally began to breakdown and all of her emotions flooded to her face. The sheer terror in her eyes made him smirk as he closed the door saying, "Welcome to Hell!"


	2. Blood

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS but character plots and teenage Tali is all mine.**

—

Chapter II - Blood

Sundays at the Dinozzo house were always centered around family time. Between the hecticness of work, school, basketball, cheerleading, ballet, and everything else they kept up with during the week, Sundays were always marked for rest, relaxation, and fun!

Tony came downstairs to the kitchen to find his 12 year old son, Anthony Dinozzo III, eating an extra large bowl of cereal and watching a video on his phone. He smiled and grabbed a spoon from the drawer then stole a taste from the boy's bowl.

"Daddddd", Anthony wined then laughed, "come on, get your own!"

"That is my own III", he tussled his son's hair, "I bought it!"

Anthony rolled his eyes, "yeah yeah".

Tony laughed as he poured cereal and milk in his own massively large bowl, "we better eat quick, your mom will kill us if she see's that we're using her good china again."

Anthony's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at his father and motioned for him to turn around.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?"

Anthony nodded and laughed as his mother tapped Tony's shoulder. "How does she do that?"

Tony slowly turned around with bowl in hand and gave his signature dazling smile, "good morning my little ninja, you're back early from your run."

Ziva looked at the bowl then back at him, "really Tony? Haven't I asked you guys repeatedly to ..."

Before her rant could even begin, Tony kissed her lips softly and apologized. "Let us make it up to you. III and I are obviously super hungry, and I'm sure you are too, so let us take you and Tali to breakfast someplace really really nice."

She raised an eyebrow and showed a coy smile, "I suppose I won't have to kill you today if you two also agree to clean the entire house, yes?"

"What, no way", Anthony clearly made his feelings known. "Ima please, can't dad just do the time for both our crimes? I mean, he's the one that started me on the 'good china bowls make for a better cereal experience' thing anyway! His dad influence got me in trouble!"

Ziva laughed, "so what you are saying is that you are just a victim who has been corrupted by the Dinozzo system, yes?"

"Exactly!"

She shook her head at her two favorite boys with a smile, "sorry my sweet boy, since you both are repeat offenders, my terms are nonnegotiable. Now go change and wake Tali to get ready so we can go to breakfast."

"Awe man", Anthony sighed as he headed upstairs.

"Really the entire house babe?" Tony sat the cereal bowl down and wrapped his arms around Ziva. He began leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. She settled into his embrace and moaned softly. "Isn't that a little harsh sweetcheeks", he asked as he bit down lightly on her favorite spot behind her ear.

Ziva let out a small growl as she felt herself giving in to Tony's obvious ploy to get out of cleaning the house. _Ziva, contain yourself._ She quickly pulled herself away. "Uhn uhn my little hairy butt. You will not trick me into overturning your sentence."

"But Zi", he kissed her lips again. This time with passion as he backed her up against the wall. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed into her harder. Her hands gripped his back and he took it as a sign. _I've got her now._ He broke the kiss and quickly dipped his head back down to her neck. Again she moaned. Tony slowed his advance only a little to pull back and lock onto her lustful eyes, "maybe now we can rethink that sentence? I think I have something worth your while."

Ziva smirked and pulled his lips back down to hers. Just as her hands reached for his belt, they were interrupted ...

"Ewwwwwwww, get a room", Anthony exclaimed as he re-entered the kitchen.

Tony quickly jumped back and Ziva laughed while trying to hide the redness in her cheeks.

"Sorry III", Tony said while getting himself back together, "kind of forgot you were here son."

The young boy rolled his eyes and took a seat at the center island. "I'm ready when you guys are. Seriously, I need bacon!"

Ziva shook her head, "You will have all the bacon I'm sure, but first let me go change. Your abba distracted me."

"Yeah I noticed, you guys are gross."

Tony scoffed, "how do you think you and your sister got here?"

"Ewww dad", Anthony covered his ears, "TMI!"

Both parents laughed. "Let me just take a quick shower and change." Ziva started to exit then paused, "you did wake your sister, correct?"

"No."

"Anthony, I thought I told you to wake her."

"Well I was going to but she's not in her room or her bathroom." He shrugged as he left to go to the living room and play a video game while waiting.

"That's odd." Ziva looked at Tony, "did Tali tell you she was going anywhere?"

"Nope, haven't seen her since she went to bed last night. Maybe she left before I got up and went to practice."

Ziva shook her head, "no, her practice got cancelled yesterday. She said she wanted to sleep in which is why I didn't wake her to run with me this morning. I wanted to let her rest."

"Huh, that's weird", Tony pulled out his phone to call Tali.

 _"WARNING! WARNING! YOUR FATHER IS CALLING! I REPEAT: WARNING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, YOUR FATHER IS CALLING!"_

Ziva curiously started walking upstairs to where the annoying sound of Tali's ringtone for Tony was going off. Tony quickly followed behind her. He hung up when Ziva lifted the phone off of Tali's bedroom floor.

 _Something isn't right._ "Tony, Tali would never leave the house without her phone." Her confused eyes locked on to his as she held it up for him to see. "And she definitely wouldn't leave it on the floor." Her mind quickly went to the worst thoughts and Tony picked up on it immediately.

"Maybe III was just messing with us babe", he offered in hopes of shifting her thoughts. "She's probably just in the bathroom." He knocked on the door to Tali's ensuite. "Hey Kid, you in there?" After a few moments of silence, he opened the door but the bathroom was in fact empty. _Where the hell is this girl?_ "Okay let's not panic. We're investigators, so let's investigate."

They both took a step back to take a quick assessment of the room. The curtains were closed as they typically were in the morning. Tali's laptop was open on her desk with her iTunes "Bedtime" playlist still playing softly, also normal. Her book bag was partially open on the floor next to her desk chair, still normal. Her favorite 'go to' late night reading books still sat on the night stand, normal. Nothing seemed out of place, except her bed and they both noticed at the same time.

"Does something seem ..."

"Off with her bed", Tony finished Ziva's question.

"Yes. Her sheets are never this wild, and her pillows are never on the floor. Tony, this doesn't feel right", her voice now matched the worried look on her face.

Tony didn't respond. Although his mind was saying the same thing, he wanted them to just be overreacting and reading too much into nothing. _Maybe she snuck out._ It wasn't in Tali's nature to go against the rules but it seemed better than what he knew he and his wife were both now thinking. _I should check the windows._

Ziva walked over and opened Tali's closet door and immediately felt nauseous, "Tony?"

"Yeah", he kept his back turned while checking the locks on Tali's windows. _All closed and locked._ Something was off for sure. _She couldn't have locked it if she climbed out._

"Tony", Ziva called again as she found herself stuck in the same spot. Unable to look away from the closet floor. _There's too much._

He was lost in thought and desperately trying to shake the feeling that he was overlooking something. _Why the hell would she leave without her phone?_ He looked again at the window then her bed, trying to piece together a logical explanation.

"Tony", this time Ziva yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Her tone made him nervous, "What is it Zi?" He moved across the room to meet her by the closet. His eyes followed to where hers seemed to be fixated and he froze.

"Blood ..."


	3. Hunter Amadi

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS but character plots and teenage Tali is all mine.**

—

Chapter III - Hunter Amadi

They had been alone now for what seemed like days even though it had only been three hours. Tali had ripped off the rest of her torn shirt sleeve to use as a makeshift gauze for the boy's head. He'd passed out shortly after their captor left, leaving a fearful Tali to sit in silence and imagine what horrible things would come once the man returned. She jolted a little as she heard the young man starting to wake back up. Her eyes darted across the room as he slowly tried to sit up. When he finally positioned himself against the wall, they locked eyes. Another moment of silence spread across the room as neither knew what to say.

Eventually, Tali was the first to speak, "Who are you?"

The boy took in a labored and painful breath then answered, "Hunter ... Hunter Amadi."

She quickly noticed his accent which provoked intrigue, "How did you get here?"

"I'm not sure. I can't remember really. One minute I was leaving the gym, and the next thing I knew I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head then I woke up here.

"How long have you been here?"

"I think it's been at least two days. I can't really say, between the beatings and passing out, I'm not exactly sure if it's been more or less."

His response caused Tali's mind to go into a panic. _Two days? I can't survive that long. I'm going to die here._ Tears began to stream down her face. _I don't want to die._

Silence blanketed the room again. Minutes felt like hours and it was overwhelming. This time, Hunter broke the silence, "what's your name?"

"Tali Dinozzo", she spoke softly through her tears.

 _Dinozzo?_ Hunter started piecing something together in his head but remained quiet.

"Do you know what he wants", she asked even though she was afraid of the answer, but part of her felt like she needed to know.

Hunter looked down at his bruised hands trying to find the right words. _She doesn't know about the meeting. Maybe I shouldn't tell her._ After a few seconds, he looked back at her and decided to be honest, "I'm not completely sure, but I think it may have something to do with our fathers upcoming meeting at NCIS."

The answer took Tali by surprise. _What?_ She started rubbing her head as the confusion was bringing on another headache. "How ... how do you know my father?"

"Your name is Tali Dinozzo, right? You are the daughter of NCIS Director Tony Dinozzo, aren't you?"

She shook her head 'yes'.

"Our fathers", he paused to shift his weight to his left side to try to get as comfortable as possible. Tali moved closer to help him situate himself. "Thanks". She nodded and gave a half hearted smile which told him to continue explaining. "Our fathers, they are supposed to be meeting to sign a deal."

"What kind of deal? And how do you know this?"

"The kind of deal that will bring your father's agency and my father's closer together. I know because I am part of the deal. I'd be shifting to working within NCIS."

"Wait", all this new information was throwing her for a loop. It only made her headache worse as she tried to understood. "How can you work within NCIS, you're like the same age as me."

"I'm actually two years and some change older. So I'm 19."

 _How does he know how old I am?_ She started getting nervous of his obvious knowledge of who she was and her not knowing him at all.

"When I turned 18, my father immediately put me on staff at SASS." The look on Tali's face told him she had no clue what he was talking about. "It's the South African Secret Service. Technically, I am too young to work for either agency, but with my father being director of SASS and with proof that I've been training my entire life to do such work, I was sworn in."

"So you're like a teenage spy?"

"You are doubtful of what I say", he stated as a matter of fact. "But it is the truth."

"My father would never let a teenager work with NCIS. He barely likes to talk about old cases in front of me and my little brother."

"Let me be clear", he groaned as a sharp pain ran across his forehead, "Your father isn't entirely on board with this deal but he has no other alternative given the matter of the situation."

"What situation?"

Hunter shook his head, "it's best you not know. For your sake and mine. All I can really say is that this guy seems to know exactly who we are, kidnapping us both is not a coincidence."

 _The key._ Just then Tali remembered her first encounter with their captor, "he called me 'the key', do you know what that means?"

Hunter looked away from her and shook his head 'no'. _This guy is going to use her to get it._ He knew exactly what it meant but decided against scaring the already frightened young girl.

His lack of a response made her all the more curious. Something within her knew he was lying but she decided not to push. _If he does know then maybe he wants to protect me. Or maybe he's just some weirdo creep lying about everything._

She reasoned with herself to just drop the topic entirely, and silence fell upon them again. It didn't stop her from thinking though, as she started studying his features and trying to find logic within to make sense of all he'd just said. It was going to be a long day. And as she took mental notes of all his visible injuries again, she felt fear creep up her spine once more. She knew her fate might rest on trusting this partially broken but yet somehow confident and focused young man. It made her worry since she still felt like she didn't know him at all as the lines between truth and fiction seemed to blur.

 _Who are you Hunter Amadi?_


	4. Rule 44

**Disclaimer has been disclaimed.**

 ** _—_**

Chapter IV - Rule #44

* * *

Tony and Ziva sat in the living room with Anthony as they silently waited for their long time friend and colleague, Team Lead, Special Agent Tim McGee to arrive. After they called all of Tali's friends and their parents but found themselves hitting a brick wall, they closed the door to Tali's room and came to the unsettlingly conclusion that she'd gone missing. They called McGee shortly after to bring his team and equipment to the house without giving him any details. It had taken a few hours for the team to arrive as they had a rare weekend case, but eventually they heard the lock on the front door turn as McGee used his spare key to enter the house.

"Sorry we took so long, you guys would not believe how ...", McGee paused at the threshold when he noticed Ziva holding Anthony with tears in her eyes. "What's going on boss", the agent asked Tony apprehensively as he fully entered the living room with Agents Bishop and Torres behind him.

Tony stood up quietly and motioned for them to follow him upstairs. Ziva stayed seated in a trance with their youngest child. Once they reached Tali's bedroom door he turned to them and spoke, "I need you to process a crime scene. This stays between us. I didn't call you guys as your boss, I called as your friend who needs answers."

McGee looked Tony directly in his eyes. What he saw was something he hadn't seen since over 14 years ago when Ziva had been pronounced dead in Israel. He saw genuine pain mixed with anger and confusion. "Whatever you need Tony, we've got this."

Tony nodded and opened the door. "Bishop, there's blood in the closet, use the field tester to search it against Tali's blood." He spoke almost robotically. Bishop hesitated but, after getting an indifferent nod from McGee, she did as requested. "Torres?"

"Yes sir?" Torres stepped up next to him.

"Tali's windows are locked, I checked them when we first came in here, but check again to make sure there isn't a possibility that the locks could be faulty by slamming or something."

"Got it."

 _What happened in here?_ McGee looked around the room and felt a thick tension in the air. He knew something was out of place and definitely wrong. His best friend, practically his brother, wasn't his normal self and it all seemed to surround the teenage girl who called him 'Uncle Tim'. He felt strange being in her room and hearing Tony refer to it as a crime scene. "Tony, what's going on?"

Tony took in a deep breath, "Tali is missing."

Both field agents and their leader froze and locked eyes on Tony.

"Wait, what", Bishop asked not believing his statement.

"My daughter is missing", he still spoke robotically, "we came in here earlier after I tried to call her and Ziva found her phone there on the floor." He pointed to the spot where Ziva had put the phone back after they'd decided to have the room processed by the only people they trusted. "We've called all of her friends and theirs parents but no one has seen her."

"Torres", McGee shifted his head to signal the agent to take a photo of the phone before he picked it up.

"I'm not sure if there are any other prints on it", Tony stated, "but I know at least Ziva's and Tali's are on it. Run it anyway just in case." Torres nodded and placed it in an evidence bag.

"Tony" McGee looked him in the eye and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "we've got this. We'll find her. Just go downstairs and ..."

Before McGee could finish his statement, Tali's phone started ringing inside the evidence bag. Torres lifted it to see the caller ID read: _'UNKNOWN'._ He looked up at Tony showing it to him.

In a quick decision, Tony grabbed the phone and took it out of the bag to answer, "who is this?" He placed the call on speaker.

 _"I go by many names, Director Dinozzo, but you may call me Lucifer",_ His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Where the hell is my daughter!?"

 _"All in good time Director. First we need to make a deal."_

Tony was instantly fuming, "Listen you son of a bitch, tell me where you have my daughter now or I will hunt you down like a motherfu ..."

 _"Uhn Uhn, Director. Choose your words wisely. Your daughter's life depends on it."_

McGee motioned for Tony to breath and to keep him talking as he tried to trace the call from Tali's laptop.

"What do you want", Tony conceded.

 _"We will get to what I want at a later time, for now I wanted you to know that you should keep Tali's phone close by. And you can tell Agent Bishop not to worry about the blood on the floor, it is not Tali's. Seems one of my men got sloppy but he's since been relieved of his duties."_

The four of them looked at each other in shock then towards the camera on Tali's laptop, all simultaneously thinking that he may have hacked into it to spy into the room.

 _"That's right",_ he let out a sadistic laugh, _"_ _I have eyes everywhere. Now I must check on my guests. Goodbye for now lady and gentlemen."_

Before Tony could say anything else, the call was dropped. He looked at McGee to see if he had gotten a location but he shook his head 'no'.

"This guy must be underground or have blockers up, I couldn't get an accurate trace at all. But we'll find her Tony. We will get this guy and we'll find Tali."

Tony shook his head trying to believe in his friend. "We need to sweep the room for bugs and cameras. There has to be one in here if he knew Bishop was running a test on the blood. Take Tali's laptop too, just in case he hacked it. You may be able to trace him that way", his voice was uncommonly trembling now.

"We'll sweep the house Tony", McGee assured him, "for now you need to get out of here. Let us work."

"I need to help", he sounded desperate.

"No", this time McGee's voice was stern, "we don't know who this guy is, what he wants, what he's seen or heard, or what else he may try to do." He pulled him in for a hug, being conscious of the fact that they could be being listened to, and whispered, "This is definitely a time to put 44 in play. After we process the house, I'll meet you at the zone for a sitrep." He pulled back and made sure that Tony acknowledged what he just told him to do.

Tony reluctantly shook his head in agreement. "Tim, she's my only daughter. She just turned 17, she's still a kid", he seemed broken as he tried to protest leaving.

"I know Tony, we'll get this bastard and we'll get Tali home safe. Just let us work, that's why you called us in the first place. I promise, we've got this."

Deep down he knew McGee was right. He needed to let them work. Tony felt crippled and helpless. Had this been any other case, he'd be sharp and focused and would refuse to back down when told to take a step back, but this was different. After finding Ziva still alive years ago and making their relationship official, he'd never had any issues when it came to his family. They'd always stayed out of the line of fire. He and Ziva both knew the possible risks that would come with the job when he took the position as Director a few years after Anthony was born, but they never really fully prepared for something like this to happen with either of their children. He'd only hoped that his little girl was safe, remembering what he had taught her while she was younger, and prayed she was being brave. For now, he'd do as his best friend requested and take his wife and son to the Navy Yard for their protection. He looked back one last time at the room and his best agents, then left to follow Rule #44.


	5. Fade To Black

_**Disclaimers have been disclaimed.**_

 ** _—_**

 _ **WARNING: Some content may cause triggers as certain torture/rape may be suggested or described.**_

 ** _—_**

Chapter V - Fade To Black

* * *

Tali cringed and tried to hold her composure as she now watched Hunter being sliced by the man's blade yet again. He'd come back the other day, as promised, and introduced himself with little information as to what he wanted or to why they were there. There was no form of violence that day though, to Tali's relief, but Hunter had reminded her to brace for the storm. Now, it seemed, today was the day the storm came pouring down.

Hunter screamed in agony but was quickly subdued by a thunderous blow to his stomah that caused him to almost topple over. Almost. He'd been chained to a pipe in the far corner of their cell with two of the masked men now holding him up as Tali was forced to watch from the chair that another masked man tide her to. He was now holding her head in place so she couldn't look away. Between every moment of the torture inflicted on Hunter, their captor looked back at Tali with a sadistic grin and demon possessed eyes. He never said a word though. The only sounds came from Hunter's agony and her frightful gasps as she watched.

This man, rightly named Lucifer, had only been in the room for an hour and had already done a number on the younger man in which she'd forced herself to trust for hope that they'd get out of this predicament alive. It seemed, though, that her hope was fading as he grew increasingly weaker by the second.

Hunter had warned that this was coming. He explained, in great detail just the day before, that Lucifer would try to break them where their strengths were first.

 _"He will continue to try to break me down physically, but you he will focus on mentally."_

He was right. Tali felt all sense of her logic and mental stability going out the window of her mind. If the enclosure of the four walls in this dungeon like cell hadn't already made her lose all sanity, the visual of a young man just a few years older than her being tortured without an obvious cause surely had begun to make her mentally go off the deep end. Still, she tried to fight the urge to give in to the want to lose hope, for his sake.

 _"There will come a point when he's felt like we've broken enough and we have to let him believe we have. While we may be broken in the places he targets, we must remain untouchable in our souls. No matter what happens, Tali, don't give him your soul."_

She cringed again while letting out a small whimper at the sound of Hunter's torment as Lucifer struck another blow to his stomach. _He can't take anymore._ She noticed how Hunter's legs were almost completely no longer holding him up. The pain on his face showing immensely how much agony he was in and how close he was to breaking. Tali felt an unusual pang in her chest, was it the ultimate feeling of fear? Not quite. It was more anger than fear. More fight than retreat. More risk than conservation. Something in her had shifted when she locked eyes with Hunter and saw something hidden beneath the agony in his eyes. _His soul._ It was a sign that belief of his own words to her the day before had come to fruition.

 _"As long as you keep your soul, you can still put up a fight."_

Maybe she really was losing it, or maybe, just maybe, she'd tapped into a source within that almost likened her to her mother in her prime. Whatever it was made Tali snap as she yelled, "Enough!"

Her voice was clear. Her tone was sharp. Her breathing steady. All eyes now fixed on her. Silence spread like wildfire as Lucifer walked slowly toward her curiously. His masked man removing his hands from holding her head as the boss motioned for him to move. Tali turned her head slightly and cracked her neck without losing eye contact with her captor. The noise from the gesture and her new bold demeanor causing him to stifle a chuckle as he finally stood before her.

It strangely resembled a Mexican standoff. Her nose flared as her anger and hatred towards him was clearly visible.

"Young Tali", he finally broke the silence, "you have something you'd like to say?"

She stayed quiet and looked him up and down. When her eyes met back with his, she spit in his direction. The force of air behind the salivation causing it to land square on his face.

Immediately he countered by drawing a blade to her throat. She didn't flinch, to his surprise. She was calm ... too calm. And he didn't like it. "Hmph, seems our young Tali has proven herself more feisty than I thought gentleman", he spoke sarcastically to his men. "Leave us. I think I'd much rather enjoy this with just Mr. Amadi's eyes watching." The men did as instructed and exited the room, leaving Hunter to collapse on the floor, still chained to the pipe.

Tali still wouldn't look away from Lucifer. She could tell he was trying to break her down with his evil glare but she refused to give him the satisfaction. _Don't you dare break, Tal._ They stayed in this staring match for what seemed like hours but had only been a few minutes. Finally, Lucifer stood straight and walked behind her. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for his impending assault. Taking a moment to look directly into Hunter's eyes, she nodded as if to ask if he was okay and he responded with his own nod to confirm he was for now. Blinking slowly as his eyes slightly glazed over with relief and gratitude that she'd taken the attention off of him. But she saw the fear creep back in as they both new what her outburst would now mean for her. She stiffened and braced herself again, as she nodded to him one more time.

The moment between the two teens ended swiftly when Lucifer began his own rain of terror on Tali. He started with the same technique he had done earlier on Hunter by using his blade to carve a crude swastika on the exposed skin of her left shoulder. The girl bit down on her lip to hold in her scream as tears instantly began falling from her eyes. Hunter forced himself to look away as now their roles had reversed and he was the target of mental torture while Tali was the target of physical.

She tried desperately not to move as it would surely cause more pain but her body involuntarily jolted with each swipe of the blade. A small moment of relief struck when Lucifer had finished his carving. Small moment indeed. In no time at all he had grabbed the mess of curls on her head and jerked her head back to see her tears. He smirked in pleasure and choked her from behind. Tali faught for air. Gasping hard as his grip around her neck tightened. He laughed maliciously as he watched Hunter try to force himself up but the earlier torture proving to do its job as the young man was rendered helpless in the desire to rescue Tali.

Just as she was coming close to sufication, Lucifer broke his hold and Tali's head fell forward as she quickly tried to swallow in as much air as possible. As she seemed to finally find her breath again, he started the process over. He did this a total of five times before he stopped completely after now finding it boring. Tali was gagging after this last release and tried hard to control her breathing and swallow the vomit that was beginning to rise in her throat.

When all seemed calm, he moved in front of her and slowly cut away her clothes. She tried to fight again it but there was no use. The ropes holding her to the chair proving that resistance was futile. Her heart raced as she shuttered at the thought of what he planned to do next. Her 17 year old body now almost completely exposed to him. As if to read her mind, he finally spoke, "this should be fun and relatively painless", he paused to watch her shift uncomfortably. "Painless for me that is", he continued with a horrid grin as he secured the blade back in his pocket. Then he punched her in the face without warning. Immediately she was in a daze.

"Please stop", Hunter barely choked out from his spot on the floor. Slowly he was drifting in and out of consciousness as the shock of his latest torture was finally overtaking his body.

Lucifer looked back only for a second before turning to land another blow on the young girl's face, causing Tali's head to snap to the other direction. He then shifted his aim a landed a punch straight to her gut. She let out a displeasing groan as the shockwave of pain slashed through her body. Her eyes snapped shut as he repeated it over again. Each blow feeling increasingly harder than the last until he stopped and pulled the blade back out.

She opened her eyes slowly, barely able to hold up her head, as she tried to focus on what he was now doing with the blade. Feeling the familiar burning sensation on her wrists as from their first encounter, it occurred to her that he had cut the ropes that bound her to the chair. Almost instinctively, she tried to muster enough strength to throw a punch back at him. Letting out a hostile grunt, she took a swing and it landed on his cheek but it wasn't enough.

Lucifer grabbed her, his eyes almost lustful, as he enjoyed the fight she was now putting up. He threw her to the floor and pinned her down.

Frantically, she beginning crying out as she tried to push him off and get away. The weight of his body centered on top of her, however, made it impossible for her to move anything more than her hands. In an act of desperation, she reached up and scratched his face leaving an immediate visible claw mark.

Now he was furious. He took her hands and pinned them above her head, rendering her immobile. A small whimper escaped her lips as terror flashed in her eyes. He noticed and the view of gratification settled on his face. In one swoop, his head was buried in her neck. Biting down as if he were a vicious lion and she was his long awaited prey.

Tali screamed at both the excruciating pain and uncontrollable fear. The shrill sound causing Hunter to stir again and his eyes widened as he watched the horror unfold before him. He couldn't move or speak, and eventually all sound left Tali's voice as well. Her head fell to the side and their eyes met. She silently pleaded for help but he could do nothing.

Lucifer lifted his head slightly to follow her gaze and found immediate pleasure in the teens' silent heartfelt exchange. Somehow, without notice from either one of them, he used one hand to lower his pants while the other continued to hold Tali's wrists in place. Then, in one fluid motion, he lowered her panties and entered her virgin walls roughly. The force making her head snap back to center focus on him. Still, no sound escaped her lips. Just a single tear rolled down her cheek as he thrusted in and out of her with a death like stare. In that moment, she prayed death would surely and quickly come as she felt her innocence leave her body. Her innocence ... and perhaps ... her soul, as wave after wave of pure unbridled pain washed over her and everything began to fade to black.

* * *

 **So this chapter was hard to write, to say the least. I'm hopeful though, that the small group of people reading, so far, can continue on as the following chapters will be lighter and more hopeful.**

 **\- Chide**


	6. Forensics

**Disclaimer has been disclaimed.**

 ** _—_**

Chapter VI - Forensics

* * *

 _Five days._

Five days had passed since Tali had been kidnapped and there was still no clue as to her whereabouts and no other contact from the kidnapper named Lucifer. Tony, Ziva, and Anthony had now been staying in Tony's office at NCIS for that long and trying not to think the worst. It was hard though given the fact that the joy of their family, the bubbly teen named Tali who instantly brightened up their lives, was being held captive. As her absence grew longer, the family grew weary. Even Anthony missed his older sister's 'ultra annoyance'. _I hope she's okay._ It just wasn't right without her.

Shortly after they'd first arrived at the Navy Yard, McGee had briefed Tony and Ziva on all he'd found at their house. It was jarring, to say the least, as he ran off a long list of things they had over looked sitting right in their home to aide in the kidnappers' almost flawless execution of taking Tali. The most daunting piece of information being the fact that they'd left by carrying Tali right out the front door. Meaning they were bold enough to walk right past Tony and Ziva's bedroom. This fact made both parents feel a wide range of emotions, but the most prominent of them all being the desire to find this Lucifer and make him suffer severely for ever messing with their family.

The days seemed to blend together at this point. And they had nothing to verify if Tali was even still alive. Nothing, except hope. But hope wasn't going to be enough forever and Tony was getting restless.

"Alright, I need an update, now", Tony spoke sternly as he entered the bullpen. After the third day of Tali being gone, he'd taken the team off of all other cases so they could focus completely on the search for Tali.

McGee looked up from his computer while clicking a few keys to pull up the newest, but still old, information they had on the plasma. "We know three masked men entered your house around 2AM on Sunday and went straight to Tali's room", he spoke as he walked over to Tony. "They injected her with some type of serum to keep her asleep", he continued, "then some form of disagreement happened between two of the men causing one to stab the other, but it appears not instantly fatal as they all walked out of the house alive."

"We matched the blood found in Tali's closet to a man by the name of Joey Cortez", Bishop spoke next. "Joey Cortez has been linked to a number of different cases involving kidnappings in the past but ..."

"His body was found at the docks two days ago and is now laying in autopsy and giving us no more information than what we already had five days ago", Torres finished.

 _No more information._ The words killed Tony. They were at a dead end. One of which he detested. "Find me some new information then."

"Director", Torres spoke without thinking, "maybe we need to shift our search from rescue to body recovery. I mean, it's been five days and this Lucifer dude still hasn't made contact again. He's probably disposed of the girl by now."

Tony turned his attention to Torres, his eyes blazing with fire. Without pause, he grabbed Torres by the collar and slammed him against a file cabinet. "My daughter has a name Torres", his tone was low and laced with venom, "It's not 'the girl', it's 'Tali'! And Tali isn't dead, so get to work on finding Tali alive or take your ass home until the rest of us find her!" With that, he let the agent go and went straight to the elevator.

McGee shook his head and gave them a look to get back to work before running to catchup with Tony in the elevator. As it started to go down, McGee pressed the emergency stop button and turned towards Tony, "you okay?"

"No Tim, I'm not okay", his voice barely audible as he fought back tears. _What if Torres is right?_ He shuttered at the visual thought of his princess being a corpse somewhere out there.

As if he knew what was on his best friend's mind, McGee placed a reassuring hand on Tony's shoulder and made eye contact. "We will find her alive Tony. Tali is strong and brave. This guy is messing with you, hell with all of us. He wants us to get desperate so when he makes contact he will get everything he wants. Don't fall into the trap. We can't afford to lose it, so get it together. If not for your sake, then for Tali's." And as if to bring it all together, McGee lifted his hand and slapped Tony on the back of his head.

The shock of the gesture brought Tony back into focus and he smiled for the first time in days. "Thanks Tim", he spoke sincerely, "but if you ever 'Gibbs slap' me again I'll suspend you ... without pay."

Knowing that he was partly joking but still partly serious, McGee chuckled and shook his head to acknowledge that he mentally noted the threat. Then he hit the switch for the elevator to resume its ride down to the Lobby.

In a few short moments, Tony stepped off and turned around to McGee still inside, "I'm going to get some coffee and air. I'll be back in 20, keep an eye on Zi and III."

The younger agent nodded and headed back up. He hoped his words were as true as he made them seem. _Please God, let us find her alive._ He took a deep breath as he heard the elevator ding and exited as the doors opened. "Okay", he spoke as he re-entered the bullpen, "what do we got?"

Both his agents looked up at him confused.

"What we've got is a Director hellbent on finding someone who's practically a ghost and a team lead who seems to be up for ghost hunting too", Torres snapped.

Bishop's eyes widened at her partner's boldness, though she didn't fully disagree. Still she remained quiet as to not put herself on the chopping block like Torres had so carelessly done.

Before McGee could respond, however, Anthony came down the stairs from Tony's office and walked up to McGee, "Uncle Tim?"

McGee's eyes shifted from Torres to Anthony and he felt the tension in the room start to dissipate. "Yeah III", he responded calmly, "What's up buddy?"

"Well I'm bored and I thought maybe I could help you guys find Tal", he shrugged then handed McGee a dollar as he took a seat at his mother's old desk which was now temporarily vacant.

McGee was thrown off by the gesture and stepped in front of the boy curiously. "What's this for", he asked as he held up the crumbled bill.

Anthony looked down as his eyes started to show hints of guilt. He was quiet for a moment then finally spoke, "on Sunday, when Ima told me to wake up Tal, I went in her room but didn't see her. When I was leaving, I noticed the dollar on the floor so I grabbed it. I mean, I didn't think she'd noticed if I picked it up since she's never noticed before when she drops money and I find it. I was hoping maybe it could help with the case, you know? Like maybe there's a new clue on it or something since you guys ran out of leads."

His tone was desperate and McGee could tell he was trying to be his father's name sake in his fight to hold back tears. It half broke McGee's heart, but he didn't let is show. Instead, he flashed a smile at the young boy and nodded his head. "Thanks III, this could be the major break we've been needing", he tried to reassure him though he felt it would probably be just what it was, a random dollar Tali had dropped. Still, he wanted to have hope and so he pulled an evidence bag out of his desk and placed the dollar inside. Then he motioned for Anthony to come with him and they walked, with hopeful hearts, to Forensics.


	7. Try Me!

**Disclaimer has been disclaimed.**

 ** _—_**

Chapter VII - Try Me

* * *

With Tony out for a walk and Anthony hanging out in the Forensics Lab, Ziva was alone in Tony's office for the first time in days. She absentmindedly hummed her favorite Hebrew lullaby as she looked at the family photos that Tony kept on the windowsill behind his desk. Picking up a solo picture of Tali that they'd taken of her a few days after she'd been reunited the the two loves of her life, she traced the outline of the little girl's face. _I lost you once, I won't lose you again._ Quickly her mind traveled back to the day that they'd found each other —

* * *

 _May 17, 2017_

 _It had been a year since Ziva was pronounced dead in the mortar fire and Tali, she'd hoped, was with Tony. Everyday was a struggle of not knowing if Orli, Director of Mossad, had followed her instruction on what to do with Tali if something should ever happen to her. It wasn't like she could just stroll into Mossad and ask. And she couldn't make any calls to NCIS. She felt she was still a target and would continue to be one until the threat was neutralized. Although, she didn't exactly know who the threat was but she'd bet all the money in the world that Tony would figure it out and then come find her when it was safe. That is, if he'd gotten Tali's go bag and payed attention to the details hidden in plain sight._

 _Every other month, she had alternated her stay between Israel and Paris. This month, she was back to Paris. Keeping a low profile was hard, but Ziva had figured out ways to do so so that she wouldn't be easily recognized. She only wanted one thing, her family back. Well, hopefully her family. It was all predicated on if Tony could ever forgive her for keeping Tali a secret and wanted to find her. This day felt different though. Her hope was at an all time high that he'd come for her. Call it a gut feeling, but she just knew. She could feel his presence near so she went to the spot. Their spot. The little café where they had dinner right before the first night they'd made love. Neither of them had meant for it to happen but it did, and they vowed never to tell anyone. Nevertheless, it was the morning after at that same café and then the proceeding plane ride home with a high profile witness that had made them realize just how much that night meant to them. It was the start of a very different relationship. Far from the dynamic of just being partners. That café, the one where Ziva now sat in wait, was where they had their first official date and where she prayed Tony would come looking for her._

 _And as if all the stars had aligned, after 12 months of praying and an hour of sitting at their table, she looked up from her book and there he was._

 _"Tony?"_

 _Tears had begun to well up in both their eyes. A small breeze blew between them as the sun began to set._

 _"I knew you'd come", she barely got out the words before he had lifted her up and kissed her passionately._

 _She didn't care who saw. She didn't care if people stopped and stared. She didn't want to let go._

 _As he let her feet come back to the ground and pulled away from her, he spoke, "we have been looking for you."_

 _The fact that he'd said 'we' clicked in her mind quickly and she looked down beside him to see her angel. "Tali", she exclaimed as she lifted the smiling toddler._

 _"Ima", Tali giggled and wrapped her arms around her neck. It was that moment when she swore she'd never lose her again ..._

* * *

Ziva was jottled out of the beautiful memory when she heard a knock at the door. She sat the photo down and turned, "come in."

The door opened to reveal Tony's secretary, "Agent Dinozzo, the director of the South African Secret Service is here to see Director Dinozzo. Is it alright if he waits for the Director to return in here?"

"Oh God, with everything that's going on, I'm sure Tony forgot about the meeting. Please, Chelsea, call Tony quickly", Ziva instructed, "and, yes, have Director Amadi wait here."

Chelsea nodded and did as instructed. A moment later, Director Amadi entered with his wife and greeted Ziva.

"My husband will be back shortly", she insured. "Please have a seat, can I have Chelsea get you anything?"

"No", Director Amadi said, "we only need a few moments with Director Dinozzo to reschedule this deal signing."

Although she was no longer an active field agent, Ziva was still very much so a part of the NCIS team as a Intelligence Specialist. It was her work that helped draw up the negotiation between the two agencies to make the deal. Despite what was going on in her and Tony's personal life, it surprised her that Director Amadi wanted to reschedule. "Sir", she felt an uneasy tension in the room, "we've been planning this for months, why reschedule now?" The older gentleman looked to his wife and suddenly it dawned on Ziva that she was an unauthorized party to this meeting. _This is supposed to be a classified meeting._ Something wasn't right with the situation.

Before she could pry further, Tony entered his office and greeted the South African director, "Director Amadi, sir, I do apologize for being late. Things have thrown us off course in the last few days."

"As have things on our end, Director Dinozzo", he responded. "My wife and I won't take up much of your time. We've only stopped by to reschedule the signing."

Tony looked at him quizzically when it also dawned on him that the director's wife was in the room. He spoke the exact words that Ziva had just been thinking, "Um, Director, excuse me but this meeting is supposed to be classified, why is wife here with us?"

"Yes", Ziva voiced, "I too was wondering the same thing."

"We have a problem", Director Amadi explained, "I was forced to brief my wife on the nature of this meeting as it involves our son."

"Now that you mention it, where is Officer Amadi", Tony asked. "I expected him here but certainly not your wife. She should not have been briefed in without my knowledge either."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. The four stood staring at each other until Mrs. Amadi pulled her phone from her purse and showed them a disturbing video.

Ziva's eyes widened in horror. "Tony", she said breathlessly, "that's ... Ta ... Talileh". Tears forced their way from her eyes.

Tony pulled his gun and aimed it towards them. "Where the hell did you get that!?"

"Director, lower your weapon before you have an international incident on your hands", Director Amadi demanded.

"You have my fucking daughter you son of a bitch", Tony yelled as he moved closer.

"What", confusion now hitting Director Amadi.

"Please", Mrs. Amadi pleaded, "look closely." She herself was now in tears as she slowly moved between the two men, "they have our son!"

Tony reluctantly did as requested and began lowering his weapon. Sure enough, he spotted Hunter Amadi in the video, the young man that was supposed to be under his authority after the deal was signed. _What the hell is going on?_ He looked at them as he took Ziva in his arms, his eyes demanding an explanation.

"Director and Agent Dinozzo", Director Amadi spoke, "we received this video three days ago while still in South Africa. I was coming here today to delay the signing because my son has been kidnapped. We've received no information other than this video. My people tried to trace it but they hit a dead end. We did not know that the young woman was your daughter. We are sorry."

"This must be a coincidence that they've taken both of them", Mrs. Amadi chocked out.

Ziva pulled away from Tony and locked eyes with the weaping mother, "Rule number 39".

They looked at her confused but Tony knew exactly where she was going. "There's no such thing as coincidence." He let out a sigh, "this was deliberate. A plan made to get both our attention."

Things started to click in the other director's head, "so these men must know about our meeting today. This must be a plot to stop the deal for South African and North American military coming together in alliance."

"Yes", Ziva's breathing became level again and her voice now determined, "but they messed with the wrong people. Mrs. Amadi, I need your phone so my people can study that video. And we need to leave our husbands so they can sign that deal."

"We can't sign it knowing our son could die because of it", the director protested.

"And my daughter could die too", Ziva spat. "This is what they want! I do not know exactly how things are working these days in your country, but in America we do not negotiate with terrorists! So get the job done and sign it! Then we continue on as agreed with a press release this evening."

"Are you crazy? How is that going to help either of us? Maybe you can spare one of your children but Hunter is our only child!"

The words 'crazy' and 'spare' triggered something in Ziva. In a quick move, she took Tony's gun from its holster and pushed the barrel straight against the director's chest, "do you want to see an international incident director? Do you want to see crazy? I am a mother who will most definitely go crazy over her daughter whom she's not willing to spare! So try me!"


	8. Life

_**Disclaimers disclaimed.**_

Chapter VIII - Life

* * *

Hunter tried, for what seemed like the thousandth time, to get Tali to talk but she'd remained silent since they'd woken up from Lucifer's torture two days ago. It had also been that long since she'd slept and it worried him. Being in that dungeon, he couldn't tell if it was day or night but he knew she needed to try to rest.

"Tali please", he implored, "I know it's hard but you have to sleep."

Still she didn't speak. She didn't even acknowledge him. Her gaze stayed on the spot where Lucifer had stolen her innocence. She couldn't cry anymore. The tears had dried up yesterday. All she did was stare into the bleak abyss of horror. The visual of Lucifer on top of her and the feeling of unbridled pain as he enetered her plaguing her mind.

Hunter knew that the psychological warfare was only just beginning. He shuttered as he remembered how desperate Tali was to get away and how he was forced to watch, being able to do nothing else. His heart hurt for her. He longed to make it better, but he knew one wrong move or word could make her snap into more of an emotional decline and withdraw.

It seemed they were both paralyzed.

* * *

 _"So try me!"_

Director Amadi looked past Ziva toward Tony with his hands raised, "Director Dinozzo, please tell your wife to lower the weapon". His breathing partly labored showing his obvious concern that she would in fact shoot him.

Tony moved closer behind Ziva and raised his hand to cover hers so it almost looked as if he was helping her aim.

"Director Dinozzo", he pleaded.

"She won't shoot you alone", Tony's voice sounded menacing. "But we will shoot you together if that document does not get signed." He slid his finger of Ziva's to release the safety.

The older man took a deep breath and shook his head. "Signing could cost our children their lives."

"It's a scare tactic", Ziva finally spoke again. "Much like this one", she motioned between the end of the gun and Director Amadi's chest. "Until we know what this asshole wants, we need to move forward as planned. We don't play his hand, we play ours. I won't repeat it again, we do not negotiate with terrorists."

"Pardon me, but you're the one who looks and sounds like a terrorist at the moment."

"I'll be anything I need to be to save my daughter Director. That includes taking out anyone whe gets in my way. But I suppose you are not the enemy right now", Ziva responded as a matter of fact then lowered both her and Tony's hands, releasing her grip on the gun so Tony could return it to his holster. "Now", she turned her direction to Mrs. Amadi who'd been frozen by fear of the moment, "Mrs. Amadi, you need to come with me so my people can assess that video. We don't have time to go back and forth on this. I trust that document will be signed when we return."

Without another word, Ziva opened the door and exited the office with Mrs. Amadi reluctantly following behind.

Tony sat behind his desk and motioned to Director Amadi to take a seat. "You'll have to excuse my wife", Tony let out a low chuckle, "it's been an emotional five days as I now know that you understand. Despite what just transpired, you have to admit that she is correct."

Director Amadi shook his head in disbelief. "I do not understand you Americans at all."

"What's crazy is that what you just saw wasn't even the tip of Ziva's iceberg. I haven't seen her so brazen since she was Mossad. You got lucky."

"Lucky?" The man's tone let Tony know he felt disrespected.

"Listen, I apologize for our display. Really I do. But Ziva is right, regardless of if you want to see it or not. We have worked hard to put this alliance together. Am I comfortable signing knowing my daughter is in the hands of someone who probably wants to kill her because of it, not at all. But I also don't have any other choice but to press forward since he hasn't let it be known what he wants. Business has to continue while we search for them."

"How close are to finding them? Because my people have gotten no where. That is my biggest fear", Director Amadi spoke honestly and let his guard down. "I'm scared of losing my son even though he's been trained for these types of situations. Without knowing what these people want, I do not want to risk signing this deal and then having my son shipped to me in a bodybag because of it."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh, "We are no closer than you are to finding them and I share your fear. As father's and government officers, we've been placed in a harsh position but we both know that playing it safe, without knowing the kidnapper's true intentions, could also mean our kids lives."

He lifted the most recent Dinozzo family photo off his desk and turned it to face Director Amadi to drive home his point. "I'm not willing to sacrifice those three, they are my entire universe. Nothing in this world is more important to me than their safety, wellbeing, and happiness. Tali was conceived and birthed in struggle, pain, and an impending war. The first day I learned about her and met her, she was 2 years old and had already survived an attempt on her life. Another year after that, she had to survive without her mother. I've watched her grow and take many hits along the way. She's faught through injury and great pain. The most amazing part of it all, is that I never once saw her give up and I never once saw her lose that Dinozzo smile. My daughter is a survivor, Director Amadi, so I have faith that as long as I continue to do what I need to do as her father ... she will survive. I owe it to her not to give up ... and you owe it to your son."

* * *

As the hours slipped by, Tali had finally crashed and fallen to sleep. Hunter watched over her with concern as he noticed she kept tensing in her sleep. She was seeing Lucifer, and he knew it by the whimpers that escaped her lips every so often. He wanted to wake her but he also knew her need for rest. Plus, he was afraid that jolting her from the nightmare would cause more harm than good.

 _She needs to get through it._

He decided against waking her. Instead, he shifted himself closer to her without raising alarm. That way, if she did wake up in shock or fear, he'd be there to assure her that she was okay ... even if it was only for a moment. He'd felt ashamed that he couldn't help her before, but now more than ever he felt it was his responsibility to do everything he could to keep her sane and alive and to help her endure. He vowed, in that moment, to protect her at all cost.

 _Even if it means sacrificing my life._


	9. Silence

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter IX - Silence

* * *

Tali woke up in a haze, sweating and disoriented. She sat up quickly and in a panic as she realized she was still in that godforsaken cell.

Hunter jumped up at the sound of her whimper and instinctively put an arm around her shoulder. Instantly he regretted the move as Tali jerked away from the contact and let out a small shriek in fear. Hunter cautiously lifted his hands in surrender and spoke in a hushed toned, "Tali, I'm so sorry. Please, I didn't mean to startle you." Tears welled in her eyes as the terror shown on her face began to dissipate when his voice registered in her head. Still, she remained quiet and he continued his plea for forgiveness, "I shouldn't have touched you without asking. I'm sorry. I was only trying to calm you. Please, forgive me."

She looked into his pleading eyes and saw the sincerity that rested there. Slowly she began to find what shred of peace she had left as her breathing began to level out. Feeling as though she was still unclean and too exposed from the assault that Lucifer inflicted on her, she could not look into Hunter's eyes too long. She looked down at her bruised legs then nodded her head as if to acknowledge the young man's apology.

"They dropped more food off while you were sleep earlier", his tone still low, "you should try to eat something. It's been two days and ..." He paused as he watched Tali shake her head 'no' adamantly. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he slowly stood up and gingerly walked over to the door where Lucifer's men had left a small tray of food. Still dealing with his own pain from what seemed to be a few broken ribs, he let out a low groan as he bent over to pick up the tray then walked back over to where Tali sat.

The fact that they were forced to sit on the dirty concrete hadn't helped with their open wounds but Hunter was thankful that, despite the fact that the place resembled a cold dungeon, it was warm as he'd opted to use the shirt he had on to cover Tali's once exposed upper body. Lucifer had not only cut the little clothes she had on in his assault, but he'd also left with every scrap of her apparel except her underwear. No one had returned with anything to cover the young teen when they came two days before to unchain Hunter from the pipe, so while she was still passed out he had carefully removed his shirt and placed it on Tali. Luckily, on her petite frame, it covered her most intimate parts. Tali hadn't asked about it, but she silently thanked him in her mind.

When Hunter finally positioned himself as comfortably as he could in his spot on the floor, he motioned for Tali to take the larger piece of bread and eat. She didn't budge. "You need to eat, for strength", he tried reason. She shook her head 'no' again as it seemed her voice was still lost. "Ana nissa Tali."

Her head shot up at his use of her mother's native tongue and, for all intents and purposes, her native tongue as well. All beit just two words ... please try ... it was enough to make her settle into a strange comfort. She took the bread and broke a peice, stopping momentarily to inwardly say a prayer, and then she ate.

Hunter couldn't help but to smile as he noticed her demeanor soften when she took a bite of the bread. _Thank God._ They both slowly savored their pieces of bread and the small bottles of water, not knowing exactly when they'd be fed again. A comfortable silence fell between them; within it they were both grateful to at least be in this form of Hell together.

After a little while, Tali had seemingly found her voice and broke the silence. "Where did you learn to speak Hebrew?"

Hunter was surprised to hear her voice after so long. He looked at her then cleared his throat, "um, it's actually one of a few languages my father made me study while I was studying abroad during secondary school. He'd always had plans for me to be an officer at SASS so he wanted me to be well versed in different languages before I turned eighteen."

"So how", Tali paused to take another sip of water then continued, "how did you know that I'd know what you'd said?"

"I didn't really. Just thought I'd try my luck", he shrugged and spoke honestly. "I had to learn almost everything about your father before agreeing to work within NCIS. So, in learning, I found out he had two kids. You and your brother. What intrigued me was that you were born in Israel. Then I got a little background on your mother and saw that she is former Mossad. I honestly just assumed that she'd probably taught you at least some Hebrew."

"I see", the conversation now intriguing Tali, and keeping her mind of their current predicament, she waited in anticipation for him to keep talking. Her eyes encouraging him to tell more of what he knew about her and her family.

He somehow knew what her look meant and obliged. "While I wasn't completely sure if you actually speak Hebrew, I do know that you're in you're senior year of high school and you're the captain of the cheerleading squad. Shockingly, you skipped a grade and you're currently at the top of your class."

"Why is that shocking", Tali interrupted.

"Well, I mean you're ... you're a ...", he fumbled over his words.

Tali raised an eyebrow and finished his statement, "... a cheerleader. And cheerleaders aren't usually the brightest?" Hunter stayed quiet as he couldn't read if she was offended or found his stereotyping to be humorous. "I suppose it is rather oxymoronic", she mused and let out a light chuckle.

"It's good to see you smile a little after everything that bastard did to you", he blurted unconsciously. _Idiot._ Immediately, he felt stupid for even allowing the words to escape his lips. "I mean ... um ...", his face went flush and he'd suddenly become the one with no voice. _Say something Hunter! Anything! Ugh!_ He shook his head in anger at himself. "Sorry", it was the only word he could seem to form.

Tali stayed quiet for a moment and wiped a lone tear from her eye. "It's okay", she breathed out. And just like that, again, the room was plagued with silence.

* * *

 **Okay, so in the next few chapters things will pick up, get lengthy, and begin to asnwer questions.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me so far. Please, please, please continue to send feedback.**

 **And, um, yeah ... Chapter X will be up soon!**

 **Later!**

 **-Chide**


	10. Faith and Hope

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 ** _— This chapter is the longest thus far and starts to piece together our story. Enjoy!_**

Chapter X - Faith and Hope

* * *

"Dad, dad, dad", Anthony exclaimed as Tony entered the Forensics lab.

Tony nearly fell backwards as the 12 year old wrapped him in an overjoyed and unexpected hug. "Whoa III, what's going on?"

"I found something to help get Tal back!" He stood straight up, beaming with pride.

"You found something", he questioned while looking over to McGee and Abby who matched the young boy's prideful smile.

"Yeah, look!" He grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him over to the wall mounted monitor that showed the dollar that he'd given McGee from Tali's room the day before.

Tony looked at the screen confused, "okay, I see an ordinary dollar. How does this help us get Tali back? No one has called for a ransom son."

Anthony rolled his eyes but kept smiling, "no abba, look closer!"

Straining his eyes for a better view, Tony looked closer but still didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "III, what am I supposed to be seeing?" The boy didn't speak but moved toward the screen and pointed to the bottom corner of the bill. Almost immediately, Tony recognized what it was, "Blood?"

Anthony shook his head in agreement ecstatically. "Blood! Yes! I found blood and it's not Tal's!"

Tony looked down at his son in wonder and then up to meet McGee and Abby's gaze, "How did you even ..."

"III gave me the dollar yesterday", McGee interrupted knowing exactly what his friend was going to ask next. "He found it in Tali's room the morning she was taken."

"At first, we didn't notice anything eithe", Abby cut in, "but then, with a closer look, III noticed the tiny speck of blood in the corner. I cut the corner off and ran a sample. It doesn't match Tali or the other blood belonging to Joey Cortez you guys found in the closet."

 _They got a new suspect._ Tony felt hope rising within him again as he looked at the screen then back at Abby. "So who's blood is it?"

Abby smiled and started typing away to bring up a photo of the man, "our sample donor is none other than ..."

"Marko Johanson", Anthony exclaimed as the photo popped up.

"He doesn't have a rap sheet", McGee further explained, "but he's obviously been up to something if we found traces of his blood in your house. I mean, what are the odds that Tali randomly got that dollar when receiving change at some store?"

"About a billion to one", Abby blurted out. "We're all betting that he's one of the kidnappers."

"Johanson", Tony's face contorted as the name rolled off his tongue. _Who the hell is this bastard?_ He looked at the photo again and it struck a nerve in him. He turned his attention to Anthony, "III, why don't you go grab yourself some snacks from the vending machine then head back up to my office." He pulled a few dollars from his pocket, "here's a couple bucks, there's an agent out there who'll escort you."

Anthony took the money happily and started to leave then stopped. "Abba you know something" , he posed as a statement rather than a question. His happy demeanor shifting as he sensed his father was holding back. "I found the blood, so I should know what you know too."

"I appreciate what you've done buddy, but now we have to work through somethings and I'd prefer you not be in the room. You've earned yourself a break buddy."

"I'm not a little kid", he huffed then rolled his eyes.

"But you're not exactly an adult either III, so when I tell my 12 year old son to leave the room while I run my investigation I expect him to leave without giving me a problem", Tony's tone shifted to a low and stern octave.

Just as stubborn as his mother, Anthony didn't back down, "Tal is MY sister dad and THAT was my find! I NEED to know! I have to help save her! I DON'T WANT TAL TO DIE! PLEASE, LET ME HELP!"

His abrupt explosion of emotions caused everyone in the room to look at him with a mix of shock and sadness. Truthfully, in all that had been going on, Anthony had been reserved with his emotions. It surprised everyone, especially Tony, to see him beginning to breakdown.

It hadn't even crossed Tony's mind that his son might be harboring some deep emotions that were too much for a 12 year old to try to handle on his own. In that moment, he felt horrible for not even considering to push for more when Anthony answered "I'm good" whenever he'd asked how the boy was feeling since this entire nightmare had begun.

 _Real great parenting Dinozzo._ Tony scolded himself mentally then leaned down to wipe the tears that had suddenly started falling from Anthony's eyes and let out a sigh. "Buddy, Tali isn't going to die, okay", his words were desperate as he prayed the boy's hope would be restored. "I know you miss your sister ... trust me, I miss her too. You've helped in a major way. Hell, you may have just broken the case for us. I respect what you found and I promise I will fill you in when I can. I'm not denying you of being able to help, I swear. I just don't want to assume that I'm right and give you false information. You did your part in finding the evidence, now let us do our part in figuring out what it means, okay?"

Reluctant, but knowing he'd eventually lose in an argument against his father, Anthony slowly nodded. "You promise you'll tell me what everything means after you guys figure it out?"

"I promise buddy. I'll tell you everything and we'll find your sister together— you have my word."

Without any need for further assurance, Anthony left out of the lab and headed towards the elevator where an agent had been waiting to escort him.

Abby was the first to speak after the door closed, "poor kid. I feel so bad." She pouted as the entire exchange between Anthony and Tony flashed through her head.

"Yeah, well, I feel worse", Tony admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll deal with it later, though. For now, we need to focus. This guy Johanson is a major concern."

"Well he doesn't have a rap sheet", McGee repeated the statement again. "Before today, he's never been on anyone's radar. So either he's new to crime or really good at not getting caught."

"He's definitely not new to crime, I'm sure of that", Tony spoke confidently.

Abby looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "III was right, wasn't he? You do know something!"

Tony looked at both McGee and Abby in disbelief, "You guys really don't see anything wrong with this Johanson guy? Nothing stands out to you at all?"

They both looked at eachother confused then back at Tony.

"I mean, other than his blood being on a dollar found in your house, should we see something wrong with him", McGee asked, not fully picking up on why Tony seemed to be two steps ahead of their own thinking.

"Seriously", he unintentionally raised his voice and slammed his fists on one of the lab tables.

Abby flinched slightly at his outburst causing McGee to step up, "Tony, if we're supposed to know this guy then tell us how. But first, you need to calm down. If you know something then tell us, don't expect us to just figure it out. We're all running on fumes from mental overload here."

 _He's right I guess._ Tony took a moment to level out his breathing then began to explain, "21 years ago we worked a case where we were called out to a radio station after a navy commander, radio host, and music engineer were shot to death. The case led us to the suburban gated community of Royal Woods ... "

"Oh yeah", the details of the case slowly started coming back to McGee. "There was a group of homegrown terrorists made up by some of the home owners named ..."

"MAH", Abby chimed in. "Military At Home."

"Uh huh, and what was the name of the guy who supplied them with the bomb that nearly took us out on the baseball field", Tony asked.

Abby's eyes widened at the realization when she looked at the photo on the monitor again. "Deeter ...", she paused to silently curse herself for not putting it together. "Deeter Johanson the ..."

"South African bomb maker and terrorist", McGee finished shaking his head. "And this guy Marko looks almost identical to him, not to mention the same last name. They're probably brothers."

"Ding ding ding!" Tony's voice dripped with a little more sarcasm than he wanted, but he wasn't going to apologize. "This is not a coincidence. These guys have to be related. I want everything from that case 21 years ago and everything you have on Marko Johanson. Check prison records and see if Deeter has had any visitors, I wouldn't be surprised if Marko's name is on the visitor's log. There's a connection to that case and this one, find it!" He left without another word.

* * *

Ziva stood in MTAC watching the video that the Amadi's had given them, on the big screen, for what seemed like the millionth time. _Come on, show me something._ After seeing it loop back to the beginning, she motioned for one of the techs to turn it off and sat in one of the theater like chairs. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and tilted her head to signal for the techs to give her privacy in the room.

After they left, Ziva let out a discontented grunt. "Dammit, where are you", she yelled to the open air.

"You know, yelling to nobody isn't going to get you any answers."

Ziva turned to see where the familiar voice came from, "Gibbs?"

The silver haired, now considerably older, retired team lead smirked as he stood before her, "hey Ziver."

Immediately, she pulled the man who had become a father to her in for a hug. "I missed you", she paused, "wait, how did you get into MTAC?"

"I missed you too kid", he responded while pulling away. " And, uh, your Director husband had his secretary waiting for me when I got here. Tony called me yesterday to tell me about Tali. Took the first flight out of Mexico to come check on you. Since he's busy, I asked that tech guy, Max, you sent out of here to let me in. Surprised he's still working here", he chuckled.

"I've gotten used to his ... um, interesting ways."

"Hmph, I never got used to that guy. Anyway, enough about how I got here, I need to know how you're feeling", he asked as he searched her eyes with his signature stare.

Ziva looked away then took a deep breath."I'm okay ... all things considering."

"My granddaughter is a fighter, just like her mother, she'll make it through this and you'll find her", he rubbed her arm reassuringly before bringing her face back towards him gently so that he could search her eyes again— needing to know that she believed him.

"I know Gibbs, I'm just worried", she wiped a stray tear. "It's been six days with no contact. Just the first initial call and then silence. I mean, any other kidnappers would have made their demands by now and then tried to go on their way. This whole thing just doesn't make sense."

Gibbs nodded his head knowingly and took a seat. "So, whadda ya got so far?"

"Nothing", she let out a sigh of defeat while taking a seat next to him.

"Nothing?" He looked puzzled. "You've got all of NCIS looking for Tali, trying to run down leads, searching your house with a fine tooth comb, and you mean to tell me you've got nothing?" He shook his head, "no, I don't believe that. You've got something Ziver, you're just overlooking it."

"Gibbs, I do not ..."

"What were you working on in here before you made the techs leave", he interrupted.

"I was trying to find some answers or clues in a video that the kidnappers sent to Director Amadi."

"Who's Amadi?"

"He's the Director of SASS, the ..."

"South African Secret Service", he interrupted again. "I've heard of'em once or twice in my day. So what's the Director of SASS doing getting videos from Tali's kidnappers?"

"His son, Hunter, and Tali we're both kidnapped and are being held together. At least, I'm the video it looks as if they're being held together."

"Why are the kids of an NCIS Director and an SASS Director being kidnapped?"

Ziva took a moment before answering, "we think it may have something to do with a current operation, although the kidnappers haven't exactly been talking to let us know."

"This Op, is it classified?" He knew the answer by Ziva's previous statement but he asked anyway.

"Yes."

"I see, so how do your kidnappers know?"

"Well, that's why I said we 'think' Gibbs."

He noticed her tone shift and took it as a perfect time to exploit her frustration. "So this video, you couldn't find anything on it to help you at all?"

"Nothing at all. The only thing I see is my daughter terrified and the young man being tortured."

"No faces other than the kids?"

"Actually, the lead man does show his face but it doesn't come up in any system when we run facial recognition. Which leads me back to having nothing?"

"You sure about that", he was purposely trying to push her.

"Yes Gibbs, I am sure", she threw up her hands and stood to pace the floor. Another wave of irritation for not being able to find answers hitting her swiftly. Gibbs just sat back quietly and let her vent. "There are no geo tags on the video. No time stamps. No image sources. No data to trace. No traceable faces. No sounds. No distinct wall markings. There is nothing!"

Gibbs titled his head slightly and posed the question again, "are you sure about that?"

Letting out another grunt, she looked at him in anger, "why the hell do you keep asking me that?"

He chuckled, "because I'm not convinced."

Her nose flared as she took to furiously rubbing her head again. "Gibbs, for years we have been able to find the needle in the haystack when no one else could. You've watched me spend countless hours combing through less evidence than this and found links to terrorist cells that we eventually took down. But this ... for this I ..."

"Have nothing?" He shook his head in disagreement. "You just said that you've tracked down entire terrorist cells with less, so I don't see how you have nothing."

"Why must you debate me on this!?"

He stood up and walked over to her, "I don't debate, so stop telling me what you don't have Ziver."

"You think I want to have nothing?" Her voice cracked.

"I think you want this to be like every other case, but it's not. The sooner you get that, the sooner you'll find something and bring Tali home."

"You think I don't know that it's different", her voice elevating again in anger. "My daughter was taken from her bed while I slept in the next room! The men that took her were stupid enough to get into an altercation, delaying their exit, and I sensed nothing wrong in my own home because I never woke up! I never heard a thing! I just stayed sleep while my baby needed me! Now my daughter is out there somewhere with this menace calling himself Lucifer that seems to have no agenda because he still hasn't called us back! The only shred of evidence that I have that could possibly help is a video of my little girl locked in some dungeon and I cannot find anything to help me trace it! It's impossible! This guy is good! Even Abby and McGee aren't that good! He's too good!"

She stopped her rant to level her heavy breathing and realized Gibbs was smirking at her. Reading his eyes, the wheels started turning in her head. _No one is that good._

"Gibbs, no one is that good, right?" Her eyes were pleading with him to tell her that it was impossible for her to have nothing again.

"Mhm", was his only response.

The minor confirmation was all she needed though. Quickly, she went over to the computer and began playing the loop of the video on the large screen again. It was short, only about 45 seconds and played on a constant loop. All be it less than a minute, she resolved in herself again that it was long enough for her to find something.

On the left side, it showed Tali tied to a chair and obviously struggling to look away and cringing. On the right side, Hunter was chained to a pipe but still standing. One man was holding Tali's head in place, while two others stood by Hunter. A fourth man, whom she assumed was Lucifer, was between them all and in the middle of cracking Hunter in his ribs with something resembling a bat. She'd counted 3 hits before the loop began all over again. She knew the video had restarted by the way Tali's head seemed to reset awkwardly between the 3rd hit and the middle of what Ziva counted as the 1st hit.

 _There has to be something here._ After the fifth loop of the video, Ziva paused it and stepped closer to the big screen. Her focus centered on Lucifer. _Is that ..._

"I heard someone finally made it back to NCIS", Tony drew Ziva from her thought as he greeted Gibbs.

"Good to see you Tony!"

"Good to see you too Boss", Tony looked towards the screen then turn to Ziva, "Hun, haven't you tormented yourself enough with this?"

She shook her head, "according to Gibbs, no I haven't. And I'm glad he pushed me because I think I found something." Ziva pointed to a spot on Lucifer's arm, "what does that look like to you?"

Tony and Gibbs both turned their attention to the spot. "A swastika", both men said in unison.

"Yeah, but I know that swatsika", she admitted.

Tony met her gaze, "How?"

"A case, way back when I was Mossad. I don't remember all the particulars of the case, or this guy's face, but I remember that elaborate tattoo. I'm sure if I make a few calls I can get that case file and maybe we can come up with a name."

"You're sure", Tony asked.

"Positive", was her only response as she looked back at the image.

"Told you you had something", Gibbs said with a smirk.

"Well, I have something too", Tony interjected. They gave him their attention before he continued, "actually, III has something, it's a dollar he found in Tali's room that had a speck of blood on it. Abby and Tim traced the blood to a man named Marko Johanson. I think he may be related to Deeter Johanson ..."

"The bomb maker from the MAH case we had over 20 years ago", Ziva asked, not missing a beat.

"Precisely."

"Looks like this case has to do with as much of the past as it does the future of NCIS", Gibbs stated. "So I'll leave you to it while I go see my grandson", he turned on his heal and exited MTAC.

"He's right Tony."

"Yeah", Tony sighed, "and that's what's causing me to worry. If this has to do with a past beef as well as this new peace relations with South Africa, I'm almost scared to think of how much worse this could end up being. Beyond just the struggle of getting Tali and Hunter back, this whole thing can be a play to reset the war and bring it to US soil."

"We have to make a connection between all this information so we can stop this and find Tali", her voice began to shake, "I can't lose my angel again Tony ... I can't ... I promised her I wouldn't."

Tony pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, "we'll turn over heaven and earth if we have to Zi. We won't lose her."

And as the silence settled in the room, they held each other with tears in their eyes. Both raising silent prayers to whatever god would listen. Clinging to faith and hope.

* * *

 **So, a few key notes for clarification:**

 **1\. The main case referenced in this chapter is from the episode - "Dead Air" 8x5**

 **2\. Abby left NCIS after Reeves died then returned some years later.**

 **3\. Gibbs is retired and in his 70's but obviously still has a deep bond with the NCIS family — especially with TIVA.**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Keep sending feedback! Next chapter to come with more of Tali!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	11. The Door

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XI - The Door

* * *

 _Tali sat inbetween her Grandpa Gibbs and Uncle Tim while her ima and abba saw the doctor. It had been hours since she'd seen her parents and, for a five year old losing her patience, it seemed like forever. But Grandpa Gibbs made her a promise that it would be all done soon, so she tried with all her might to sit still. Not an easy task for the always bubbly and hyperactive curly haired girl. Holding Kalev, her favorite stuffed dog, Tali sang to herself in Hebrew while she waited. It had become her favorite pastime and, even at five, she was extraordinarily talented._

 _"She never ceases to amaze me", McGee whispered to Gibbs as he marveled at Tali._

 _Gibbs smiled with pride at the perfect child, "Yeah me either."_

 _Both men just sat back and smiled as Tali began rocking her little Kalev and singing a little louder. Time seemed to slip by a little faster while she sang and in what seemed like no time at all, Tony emerged in the hospital waiting room with a cheesy grin. Tali had been the first to notice him._

 _She ran to him with outstretched arms yelling, "Abba! Abba!"_

 _Tony picked her up and kissed her little nose, "hey my princess!"_

 _"Abba, where is the baby", she asked as she looked around the room as if there would be a baby right there._

 _Tony chuckled and caught a glimpse of his other father and his fake brother, as he described them. Their eyes beaming with want to know what he had produced this time. Tony nodded excitedly and spun with Tali in his arms while hollering, "it's a boy!"_

 _Both men cheered and gave their congratulations._

 _Tali tapped his shoulder and demanded, "Abba, I want to see the baby!" She'd been patient enough and now she was ready to take on the duty of being a big sister, just as her parents had coached her for the last nine months._

 _Tony laughed, "you ready to meet your little brother, princess." Tali only nodded with wide eyes and he turned to take her back to the room where Ziva was now resting with the newest member of the Dinozzo family. Gibbs and McGee followed closely behind._

 _As soon as they entered the room, Tali's eyes locked on the tiny little human that laid in her ima's arms. She opened her mouth in awe but words failed her. Ziva smiled at her as Tony gently sat Tali on the bed. Everyone, including the nurse that was quietly in the corner placing an extra blanket in a chair, watched in silent amazement as Tali reached out her little hand to lightly wrapped it around the tiny hand that seemed to be extended just to her._

 _At the contact, they both locked eyes and Tali broke the silence in the room, "hi baby, I'm your big sister and I always got your back"._

 _Everyone laughed at the precious moment and Ziva spoke next, "Tali, motek, meet your little brother, Anthony." She leaned her head down to kiss the newborn's forehead then continued, "Anthony, my little lamb, meet your big sister, Tali."_

 _The little girl smiled and leaned up to kiss the newborn's forehead just as her ima had done. Tony and Ziva smiled to each other at the sight of the exchange. "Hi Anthony", Tali greeted again. "Ani ohevet otcha!" She declared her immediate love in Hebrew and kissed his head again, leaving everyone in the room amazed._

* * *

Hunter furrowed his brow as he looked at Tali who seemed to be lost in a blissful trance. It was as if she'd been completely unfazed by today's torture. _What the fuck is wrong with this chick?_ He was convinced that she'd lost her mind when she smiled and busted out in laughter. It was starting to frustrate him, how she'd become so nonchalant about their present situation.

 _Either she's given up and is welcoming death or she really has just lost her entire damn mind._

As if she could hear his thoughts, Tali finally settled down and spoke, "I haven't lost it and I'm not giving up. I'm just focusing my mind on good memories, to escape."

Hunter tilted his head at her psychic like statement and went to speak but couldn't. _How the hell did she ..._ He settled for just staring at her confused.

She kept her gaze trained to the wall, "I was thinking about when my little brother was born. III was the cutest little baby and I was so proud to be his big sister ... I still am proud actually. The day he was born, my Uncle Tim was low key recording my reactions in the waiting room and when I first got to meet III. When we got a little older, my dad shared the videos with us. Like, I totally fell in love with the kid instantly. I promised him I had his back when I was five. Granted he annoys me a lot now, but I will forever have his back."

Hunter remained quiet as she turned her head slightly to look at him, allowing her to continue. "I was laughing because at some point during that day, III started crying and, in front of almost all my family, I yelled at my parents for making him cry and I even hit my dad multiple times because I thought he'd done something to hurt my little bro", she chuckled again.

"They didn't actually do anything to make him cry but I was still too little to understand that baby's just cry. I was furious and made it my mission as his big sister to hurt anyone who hurt him, my parents included clearly." She paused for a moment as her current reality started flooding back in, "now I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to protect him again."

"You will", Hunter finally chimed in.

Tali smiled and nodded her head, "I hope so." It got quiet for a moment then she spoke again, "how are you feeling? I know your ribs and legs have to be killing you."

"I've been trained to endure this kind of pain. It hurts like a bitch but I'll manage", he shrugged. "I've definitely had better days. But, I was more worried about you, after all that stuff he ..."

"I'm okay", Tali cut him off. "After the second time, I think I may actually be numb now", she said honestly.

"Numb? Is that why you were so quiet?"

"I'm not sure. But I know that I don't want to dwell on what's happening. I just want to focus on what's worth focusing on, like my family."

"That's brave of you."

She shook her head, "trust me, it's not. I'm completely terrified that he'll come back and whip me again. Or cut me again. Or rape me again ...or ... or kill me. But beyond that terror, my mind keeps going back to my ima and abba and III. So I'm trying to stay strong."

"Yeah, I get you."

"It's weird, I know I should probably be a babbling mess after what he did today, but I almost don't remember it. That's actually probably a psychological defense mechanism to help me cope, now that I think about it, which can't be good."

"Probably not good at all. It will hit you eventually though, like it did the other day. You'll remember."

She raised an eyebrow. "Wow Hunter, way to keep it brutally honest."

"Sorry", he shook his head, "but it probably is true. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I'm numb, remember", she said sarcastically, "I have no feelings right now. And even if I did, they wouldn't be hurt. I was the one who brought up the psychological defense mechanism so you agreeing doesn't hurt me. Just kind of didn't want you to agree so quickly."

"Right, got it."

An awkward silence fell between them and, along with it, some nervous tension.

"Hunter?"

"Yeah?"

Tali looked away as she posed her question, "what am I the key to?"

The young man cleared his throat but didn't respond.

"I know that you know more than what you've let on", she looked at him this time to gauge his reaction. "You were brought here before I was, which means this guy probably told you his intentions. Plus, you were quick to conclude that he kidnapped us both due to our fathers' deal signing. So what does he want? What am I his key to?"

"Tali", he sighed, "I can't really say."

"Why not?"

"Because I .. I just can't!"

"Can't or won't", her tone not masking the anger developing inside her. "Think before you respond this time."

Hunter was taken aback by her sudden attitude, "was that a threat?"

"You'll know when I've threatened you", Tali started plainly. "You know exactly why I'm here, so tell me and don't try to spare my feelings. I may not be a teenage spy, but I'm a Dinozzo so I can handle it."

"No, you think you can handle it but you can't. Just drop this, I'm keeping it from you for a reason."

She rolled her eyes, "whatever you think you're protecting me from, it's a little too late now Hunter. The worst has already happened, you've been a witness to it!"

"So you think", he said under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"It gets worse Tali. That's all I'm going to say."

"What can be worse that being kidnapped and ra ..."

Before she could finish her question, the door swung open and Lucifer's men rushed the room. Taken off guard, neither teen had time to react before they were pinned down and injected with a sleeping serum. As they both started to black out, they heard Lucifer's psychotic laughter then silence.

* * *

 _The Dinozzo kids ran full speed through the back yard then flipped into the pool with almost perfect synchronization. Ziva and Tony laughed and applauded their 13 and 8 year old for their little show. With the last day of school over and summer break officially starting, it was their favorite time of year._

 _As both kids returned to the surface of the pool they exploded in laughter and splashed each other. Then Tali completely submerged and tackled Anthony back under the water._

 _Surfacing again, Anthony coughed a little then laughed. "No far Tal! I'm gonna get you!"_

 _"I bet you won't", Tali egged him on while splashing again._

 _Anthony looked over to his parents who sat in the poolside chairs, "hey abba!"_

 _Tony looked over, "Yeah buddy!"_

 _"Tal thinks I can't get her back because she's bigger, what do I do?"_

 _"Show her the cannon son", Tony laughed._

 _"Hey no fair", Tali jokingly whined. "No parental assistance!"_

 _Tony lifted his hands in surrender but winked at Anthony._

 _The little boy smiled from ear to ear as he climbed out of the pool while Tali was distracted. Then, giving himself a running start, he yelled, "cannon ball!"_

 _Splashing perfectly into the water just as Tali turned back around. She caught the large explosion of water right on her face and everyone erupted in laughter. It was the start of the perfect summer, and Tali wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

Tali's eyes snapped open at the wet sensation hitting her face. Lucifer had thrown a bucket of water on her, drawing her from the fun family memory and back to reality. She tried to move but she was back in that chair trapped by ropes. Something was different though. It wasn't the normal cell. She looked around in a slight panic and noticed that she had been moved to a smaller, more claustrophobic, room. On top of that, she was alone with Lucifer. Trying to steady her breathing, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Opening her eyes only after she heard Lucifer begin to speak.

"Good morning my young Tali", he spoke in a disquieting tone. "I'm sorry for the little shower but I was getting impatient. I've really been craving you."

Tali cringed at his words.

He noticed her shiver, "awe, are you cold little one? Let me warm you up." Lucifer reached his hand to stroke Tali's cheek and she flinched. He stepped back curiously tilting his head. "Are you sure you want to fight me today?"

She stared into his cold eyes, but said nothing.

He chuckled, "my young Tali, I assumed that giving us a place more private would help relax you. Am I to assume that you like putting on a show in front of Mr. Amadi and my men?" His eyebrow raised slightly as he smirked sadistically.

"What do you want", she asked in a whisper.

"You of course, haven't I made that clear?" He didn't wait for a response. Before Tali could begin to part her lips to speak, Lucifer's lips came crashing into hers. Tali turned her face to stop him and he grabbed her roughly by the chin. "Don't fight me!"

She spat in his face, causing him to slap her. The sound of his hand connecting to her face rang through the small room. Letting out a small whimper, she turned to look at him again. "What do you want?" This time, her voice demanded an answer other than the vile notion he kept spewing to her.

Lucifer wiped his face and nodded his head in compliance. "Okay, I suppose it has been 7 days so you deserve to know."

 _Sevan days?_ Tali's eyes grew wide at the realization of how long she'd been held as a prisoner. _Has it really been a week?_ She tried to hide the suprise on her face and waited for him to continue.

"My sweet young Tali, you see, I've been holding you here as leverage obviously. A part from my pure desire to fuck you, there is a need for you at the end of the day."

Tali gagged slightly but forced the urge to vomit down before speaking. "Leverage for what?"

He stood behind her and she felt her wrists being freed from the ropes. "Don't do anything stupid", he reminded her of his rules for her to able to be in his version of comfort. Tali just nodded as she rubbed her wrists and he came in front of her to losen her feet. " Ah, that's better, isn't it?"

Tali trained her focus to the door. _I should run._ Mentally she tried weighing her options. This was the first time he'd let her loose when they were alone since their first encounter and this time the door was much closer. _But are there guards outside?_

Lucifer followed her gaze and read her thoughts, "I wouldn't try it." She caught his eye. "That wouldn't be wise. Besides, we're in the middle of a conversation. It would be rude for you to leave. I have so much planned for us today. So many things I want to try on you my sexy little angel."

She swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat and shook her head. _To hell with this! I've gotta try._ Tali took a deep breath then, with every last bit of strength she had left in her, she swiftly bent down to grab the chair leg. With one quick swoop, she stood and threw the chair at Lucifer with perfect aim. She ran with no hesitation. She didn't look back. _Just get to the door Tal, get to the door._


	12. Too Late

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XII - Too Late

* * *

 _Just get to the door Tal, get to the door._

Tali's mission was clear.

 _Get to the door._

She didn't care what might be on the other side. She had no clue what or who would be waiting for her there. But she was determined to fight at any cost.

 _Get to the door._

Fight for her life. Fight for her freedom. Fight for her family.

 _Get to the door._

Her heart was racing. Her adrenaline was pumping.

 _Get to the door._

There were only two options left: stay and give in to Lucifer's psychotic lust, or run and fight like hell. She wasn't going to lay and take it anymore. She couldn't.

 _Get to the door._

* * *

 _"_ Thank you Paza, I owe you", she chuckled, "yes I know, add it to the list. Shalom." Ziva ended the call and looked up as Tony entered his office.

"Got something", he asked.

"Yes, that was a friend from Mossad".

Tony walked up to her slightly puzzled and moved a stray hair from her face, "Didn't think you still had friends at Mossad, Mrs. Dinozzo."

Ziva smiled and pecked his lips. "Just one, Paza, she was my friend long before either of us were Mossad and you know that. Do not act as if you do not remember how Paza helped us in that past, my love", she said as she pulled away. She walked over to Tony's computer to pull up a file. After a few clicks, several images popped up on the plasma mounted in the office. Ziva continued with the information, "Paza's first assignment at Mossad was a covert op to take out a terrorist cell making weapons trades all across the globe. The cell was trading with many of Israel's enemies, so Mossad had chosen to take it upon themselves to shut it down before an attack could be made. When they finally closed in on the cell they had tracked their leader to South Africa. I was brought on towards the end of that mission to provide backup during the raid to take them down. When we entered the bunker the cell was staying in, we found eleven of the twelve men already dead. The only one left standing was their leader, a young man by the name of Adolf Benjamin." She clicked the remote to pull up his photo.

Immediately Tony recognized the tattoo that Ziva had pointed out the day before in MTAC. "That's the same tattoo, he has to be the guy in the video, but the face is no where near the same."

"Clearly the face is different now but I put the cuffs on him myself, that's why I remembered the tattoo. Somehow, Benjamin escaped from an Israeli prison that he had been transferred to three years ago. In that time, he must have had his appearance altered but he is definitely the one who has Hunter and Tali. I can feel it."

"I'm confused Zi", he looked at her with a mix of concern and irritation.

"Paza says that it is likely that his reason for kidnapping Tali and Hunter is as you feared, that he may be trying to reset the war so that it comes to American soil. Prior to my reaching out to her, Mossad had already reopened the case file from the op to try to retrack Benjamin. I mentioned Johanson to her and she knew of both Deeter and Marko. They are in fact brothers. Deeter was just starting out in the sale of bombs when Benjamin made his first play in the weapons trade. They worked together, but after Benjamin was taken down by Mossad, Deeter went unground. It wasn't until we had that MAH case that Mossad started to look back into him and put his brother on an internal watchlist."

Tony rubbed his head in frustration, "That's a whole lot of information you and your Mossad buddies have been sitting on".

"Sarcasm isn't going to help us right now Tony. I'm only relaying everything the Paza told me. I know it's a lot but..."

"Ya think Ziva?!"

She was taken back by his tone, "is there a problem?"

"Are you really asking me that?"

"Huh, are you really choosing to be an asshole right now", she snapped back.

He threw up his hands in a dramatic sign of confusion. "I don't know, maybe I am! This whole thing sounds a little crazy for me Ziva! And how did you forget such a case? Seems like you should have remembered Deeter's connection with this bastard and that Mossad already had ties to him way back when we worked the MAH case."

"Tony, the only intel I had on the op were the people directly within the cell. Johanson was never in the file I had."

"Oh, how convenient", his sarcasm was pissing her off and he knew it, but he was starting to get even more agitated as the confusion kept weighing on him. He wanted answers. "So you mean to tell me that twenty something years ago you cuffed the bastard that now has our daughter? And now, suddenly after twenty something years, you're receiving new intel on the very case you worked?"

"Tony, I already explained that I was only read in on who the targets where for the raid. Anything prior to that point was not my concern. It was need to know, and I didn't need to know back then."

"I find it hard to believe that you didn't know, you were Eli's daughter, the proverbial face of Mossad."

She scoffed, "what is it that you are insinuating Tony?" All too well she knew her husband. He was about to jump off the ledge and scream. She anticipated him to fly off the handle at any second.

"I want answers", he spoke sternly, "and I want them now!"

Ziva shook her head and tried to control her own emotions. There was no use in them both exploding. She spoke calmly, "Tony, I have told you what I know. I've told you everything my contact could provide. What else would you like me to tell you?"

"How the hell does this asshole escape from an Israeli prison?" Tony nearly yelled at the top of his lungs, "and since when does Mossad put cuffs on people? You're a trained assassin! Why not kill the son of bitch right then and there!?"

She took a deep breath and tried to calm him, "Tony please, I can explain that if you just relax."

She placed her hand on his cheek but he pulled away. "No Ziva! You can't possibly explain", his voice elevated more. Anger now the main emotion driving his speech. "You had a chance to take out this fucking bastard years ago but instead you cuffed him and put him in some rinky dink Israeli jail! Had you killed him when you had the chance my daughter wouldn't be locked up somewhere scared for her life!"

Ziva looked at him with pained eyes. "Are you saying that Tali being kidnapped is my fault", the brokenness in her voice matched the look on her face.

"Well let's see", he spoke sarcastically again blinded by his anger. "My daughter is probably out there being tortured by this fucking monster and you ... you're the one who could have prevented it long before she was even born! You could have protected her! Hell, how do I even know you're not in on this too since you still seem to be connected with Mossad!? All these years and you're still keeping things from me! You're the one who said you knew him before we even got this intel from your little Mossad friends. So yeah, MY daughter being held captive is your fucking fault Officer David!"

An echo bounced off the walls as Ziva's open hand made contact with Tony's cheek. Almost perfectly creating a handprint on his face. Ziva's breathing was labored as she tried to speak through the sudden rush of tears, "OUR daughter Tony! How dare you even accuse me of being part of this ..."

"You're not exactly denying it either", he interrupted. Ziva went to slap him again but he caught her by her wrist, "And apparently now we've resorted to violence in our relationship."

"Let me go", she warned.

"How about you tell me the truth", Tony's grip tightened. "Are you part of this?"

"Tony, I am warning you", she hissed. "You have lost your mind."

"Answer the goddamn question Ziva", his nose flared. Eyes glazed over with desperation and fury. _What the hell is happening?_ Part of him knew he was wrong but the other half, the desperate, irrational, and sleep deprived half, was overpowering his better logic. He kept his eyes fixed on Ziva, but released his grip on her.

She rubbed her wrist, "You need to sleep whatever this is off so you can focus on saving OUR daughter. Anthony and I will stay in Abby's lab tonight."

"No, my son can stay with me."

Ziva shook her head in disbelief, "I'm not going to fight you. Goodnight Director Dinozzo." She turned to leave.

"Mmhm, yeah, goodnight Officer David", he quipped back.

Stopping at the second use of her maiden name, she turned to look at Tony. Her tear filled eyes spoke something that words could not do justice. It was only then that something triggered in Tony. Something that pulled him back to logic and reasoning.

He sighed, "Zi, I'm sor ...".

The wave of her finger made him stop his apology. It was clear that she felt a range of emotions that all led to the ultimate feeling of betrayal. _Shit._ Suddenly, Tony's world was crushed and it was no one's fault but his own. He watched as Ziva left slamming the door. Apologizing wouldn't work now, the damage was already done— _too late._


	13. Together

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **\- Thickening plot. Enjoy!**

Chapter XIII - Together

* * *

He heard the screams. Her screams.

 _T_ _ali._

The room was spinning and his head was pounding, but he couldn't do anything. Again, rendered helpless by the chains that kept him bound. It was dark and hot. If it didn't feel like hell before, it surely felt like hell now. Everything had changed. It was never totally dark and she hadn't screamed for days.

 _Tali._

It wasn't what had become their new normal. He was alone in the darkness. Feeling like his life was slipping away. Pain coursing through him and he listened to her scream. If he was alone, that meant she wasn't. She couldn't be, not while she screamed.

 _Tali._

They moved her to torment her more. Or maybe it was to torment him. Those screams. She was trying to say something between them, but the door made it muffled. Those screams though, they were clear as day.

 _Tali._

He couldn't focus. It was all too much. He prayed for her pain to end. Maybe it was the wrong prayer because suddenly a single gun shot rang out. Suddenly everything was quiet. She was quiet. No more screams.

None except for his, "TALI!"

Lucifer opened the door just wide enough for him to see a lifeless body being carried down the hall. "She can't hear you Mr. Amadi", his voice taunted him.

"You sick bastard", Hunter yelled as he tried to break from the chains. "You fucking killed her!"

Lucifer flicked a switch to cut on the light and walked over to him, but he didn't bother to close the door. "Mr. Amadi, I'm surprised that you seem so", he paused to find the right words. He smiled, "so broken. Surely you knew that this was the end game. I know your dear old dad told you everything, didn't he?"

Hunter remained quiet.

"So now you're at a loss for words? Maybe he didn't tell you. I'm not surprised. It really doesn't matter", he shrugged, "I'll talk and you can listen. I'd like to tell you a little story". He took a seat in the chair that was situated in the corner. "You see, Hunter, none of this was actually your fault. This all started a few years before you were even thought of. You're simply a victim of circumstance, or should I say you're a victim of your own DNA?"

Hunter glared at him with deeply rooted hatred. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your father. He is the reason you're here. I never had any intent on taking you as a prisoner. With that being said now, I'd like to let you go but I need to know you will do the right thing."

"If the right thing is putting two in the chest and one in your temple for good measure, then sure", Hunter spoke boldly meaning every word.

Lucifer laughed, "I see you aren't as broken as I thought. That's good son, use that hate for the greater good."

"I'm not your fucking son you twisted fuck!" Hunter wanted desperately to rip his head off. Fury was rising quickly, he wanted Lucifer's blood.

The older man was unfazed by his outburst. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his leg as he started picking his nails. "You know, this wouldn't have gotten so deep if it wasn't for your father. It's strange how you'd go so far for your family and country, but your father is doing nothing to help save you. Now the Dinozzo's on the other hand, they are using every resource at NCIS to track me down and get their daughter back. But your father, he's secretly called SASS off the search. He simply doesn't care if you die. I believe he said it would just be 'collateral damage' and 'rather good to sell his story'."

"You're a fucking liar! I promise I'm going to enjoy seeing you die!"

"Awe, Hunter, it's a shame you feel that way. What reason would I have to lie to you? You are locked in chains at the mercy of my hands. To be quite frank, I've been easy on you. Despite the broken ribs", he chuckled, "I may have gotten a little out of hand on that. Don't know my own strength sometimes. But, at any rate, I figured since you and I are both victims of the same wretched man that maybe we could work together."

"Fuck you", Hunter replied sharply.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Did you know your father signed the deal with NCIS then had a fake flight manifest registered to make it look like he traveled back home with your mother? Although mommy dearest went back, dear old dad never left. He's here in DC as we speak. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but, I thought the plan was to sign the deal and then return to South Africa."

 _What the hell is he still doing here? No, he's lying._ Hunter stayed silent. He wanted Lucifer to keep talking.

"I knew your father in another lifetime, but he's changed a lot. I was surprised when he helped get me out of that Israeli prison and paid to help me get my new identity. You see, I've known about the deal with NCIS almost since day one. I didn't really realize that your father was not as bound to his duty to be loyal to his countrymen as he trained you to be, until he let me in on his plan. Did you know that he's mixed up in some real twisted shit? You think I'm a twisted fuck", he paused to laugh and look directly in Hunter's eyes. He shook his head slowly, "I'm nothing compared to that Director Amadi. Hell, he's the one that suggested I take Tali Dinozzo as a trophy, and payment for her mother locking me away in the height of my prime. Did you know he's been doing some real dirty work over the years? Really dishonorable and horrid things."

The young man had heard enough. "Shutup! My father is a man of honor! You're a fucking coward and a liar! I swear I'm gonna ki..."

Hunter's speech halted and his body got stiff as a wave of pain crashed into him. His chest was tight and he felt like he was burning from the inside out. His breathing became labored as he tried to mentally calm himself. Something was wrong, it was happening quickly and he couldn't stop it.

Lucifer smiled from ear to ear. He stood up and walked directly infront of the now, almost completely, paralyzed young man. "What you are experiencing at this moment is another one of serums doing its work, son."

Hunter's eyes showed that he was trying to speak but realizing that he couldn't.

The older man chuckled, "It's a very slow reacting serum. I designed it that way. Very cool how it took over right when you were about to roll out another good threat." He patted the boy's cheek and his voice became taunting again, "I'm sure you'd make good on those threats too. But I assure you that I am not the cause of your pain Hunter. Not when you look at the big picture. Everything you think you know about this thing is a lie. Young Tali wasn't my key to getting your fathers' to back out of signing the deal and getting some big payout. She was my leverage to get the Dinozzo's to cooperate when the plan gets in full motion, but I'm really not interested in that anymore."

"Your father may have signed a peace deal for the American military and yours to work together but it's all a front. At least on your father's side it is. He's using the deal to cover up his involvement in the upcoming strike. To make it seem like he's a victim too. Kidnapping you was part of that cover up. You being in DC to be placed under Director Dinozzo's wing at NCIS was by design. He needed you there before he arrived so I could take you. You really think the Americans needed you? Come on, why do you think Dinozzo was against you being part of the deal? NCIS doesn't have a need for newbie fresh out of training. You're father convinced them to take you on as a 'liason' and also give you more training. He told you that it was necessary for you to move up in the ranks and it would be the ultimate sign of peace between two countries. He only pretended to proud so you wouldn't catch on, and you didn't because you trusted him. So you were just following an order. And me kidnapping you and the Dinozzo girl was me following an order. The only reason I'm telling you this now is because I've come to find out that your father is playing me as well. And I don't like being played Hunter. So you see, you and I, we are very much so alike. Both getting played. Both just soldiers following orders by the same man we feel we owe a debt to ... Director Amadi."

* * *

Ziva woke up from the sound of Abby entering the lab with a splitting headache. She groaned as she rubbed her temples. Crying herself to sleep had made waking up feel like its own torture. Abby looked down on the floor at her sister-like bestfriend with confusion. But seeing Ziva's still red and puffy eyes shattered that confusion and immediately made something clear.

"Did you and Tony have a fight last night?" Ziva merely nodded her head and Abby sat on the floor next to her to wrap her in an embrace. "What happened", she asked while she stroked Ziva's back.

Ziva let out an exasperated sigh, "I called an old friend, who happens to be Mossad, and Tony flipped out because of the intel she gave me."

"About Benjamin", Abby asked to be sure.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Tony sent an email last night about getting information on the man in the video but he didn't say how he got it", she explained.

Ziva nodded, "He got it from me, well my friend Paza provided the intel and an old case file. When I shared it with him he accused me of being part of the plot to kidnap Tali ..."

"He did what?" Abby pulled away slightly. Her face showing her disbelief and immediate anger that Tony would even insinuate that Ziva was somehow involved. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Because of the fact that I identified the tattoo the other day and then last night we both realized that Benjamin and Lucifer are both one and the same. He's just had his face altered for obvious reasons. Since I'm the one that arrested him twenty something years ago, Tony thinks it's my fault that Tali was kidnapped by him. He thinks, that with my Mossad training, I should have killed Benjamin back then but those weren't my orders. Then he insisted that I must have known all along and had something to do with it."

"Tony clearly didn't know what he was saying", Abby tried to reason. "We've all been sleep deprived and running on empty. He's just frustrated. Granted he shouldn't have exploded on you, but you have to know he didn't mean it."

"No", Ziva shook her head. "He knew exactly what he was saying and his attitude damn sure proved he meant it." She paused to take a deep breath while trying to hold back tears. "The worst part is that he kept calling me Officer David. It's like he divorced me the moment he found out Mossad had ties with this guy a lifetime ago. I swear Abby, I had no idea about any of it. Had I not noticed that tattoo on his arm, I wouldn't have even remembered that op. I've pretty much forgotten everything related to Mossad. It has been my past since the moment I killed Bodnar."

"I know Ziva", Abby reassured that she was on her side. Although she did have questions, "but why didn't you kill that sicko back then? I'm just curious."

"It wasn't my op. I was only called as backup. My orders were simple, 'take the entire cell into custody so they could be pressed for information'. When we got there, everyone except Benjamin was dead. I was instructed to cuff him and bring him to Mossad headquarters. After that, I had no other ties with the case. The only reason I remembered him at all was because it was unsettling to put him in cuffs as an Israeli and seeing that elaborate detesting Swastika. I got the same nauseous feeling the other day that I did the first time I saw it."

"Does Tony know what your orders were?"

"I explained but he just kept refusing to believe me. In his mind, I'm now the enemy too." She sighed again, "maybe I am. Maybe he's right, I should have killed Benjamin a long time ago. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault."

Tired of fighting the inevitable, Ziva broke down in tears and Abby held her tighter. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that he'd escape and come back to do this. It's not your fault Ziva. It's not your fault", she tried desperately to make her believe it. "It's not your fault."

"Abby, I feel like my world is shattered. Tony seems to hate me, Anthony has almost completely shutdown, and Tali ... Tali ...", she was stuck in her brokenness. "What do you do when you feel like the very essence of who you are is gone", she choked out.

"You keep fighting and searching until you get it back."

"How, when I feel like part of me is dead?"

* * *

Gibbs entered Tony's office and found him by himself. He handed him a cup of coffee, "where's Ziver? Tim told me you got an ID on the bastard behind all of this."

"Thanks Boss", he said after taking a sip. "Yeah, we uh ... we got an ID."

The older man looked at his protegé and noticed his attempts to avoid eye contact. Knowing Tony all too well, he knew exactly what that meant. Gibbs instinctively and unapologetically smacked the back of Tony's head.

"Hey", Tony yelped. "What the hell was that for?"

"For whatever you did or said to my kid." Gibbs stared him down.

Tony got defensive, "Look she slapped me in the face ..."

"And what did you do to deserve that slap", he interrupted. "I know you started this Dinozzo. So let's hear it."

Tony followed Gibbs lead and sat down, "did you know Ziva still has ties to Mossad and that Mossad knew about the Johansons and that bastard that has Tali? Did you know that this creep Benjamin was taken down by Mossad back in the day? Specifically arrested by one Officer Ziva David!?" Gibbs' face told him that the news didn't shock him. Tony continued, "She had the chance to kill that son of bitch and she just cuffed him instead. Who just puts cuffs on a known active terrorist? Especially when that terrorist is tracked down by Mossad? I mean, she's a goddamn assasin..."

"WAS an assasin", Gibbs corrected.

Tony rolled his eyes, "Fine, she WAS an assasin. Either way, my point is, back then all she did was takeout marks like him. Why was he so different that she didn't just do the natural Ziva thing and kill him?"

"What were her orders?"

"Does that really matter", he unintentionally hissed.

"Well yeah, Dinozzo, it does matter! What were her orders?" Gibbs' tone demanded an answer.

"To cuff him and bring him back to Mossad but ..."

Gibbs waved his hand shutting Tony up. "No buts Dinozzo. She did the 'natural Ziva thing' and followed Eli's orders. End of discussion."

"But Boss ..."

"You asking for another slap Dinozzo?" That stare from those piercing blue eyes served as a warning for Tony to stay quiet. "Ziva had no idea any of this could have happened. For you to even have the thought and then verbalize it to her was completely out of line. You deserved more than her slapping you and you're lucky she ONLY settled for slapping you." Tony swallowed the knot forming in his throat. Gibbs was completely right. Even in his old age, somehow Gibbs always knew everything without much to go on. "You've been married fourteen years, you've got two beautiful kids. Dammit, you fought like hell on more than one occasion just to get the woman you love. You've been all around the world just to get her and have this amazing life you've both built together, now you're throwing it all away because of some nut job from the past?"

"Gibbs", he spoke cautiously, "it's not that simple."

"None of this is simple Dinozzo, but you seem to be convinced that Ziva is at fault."

"My gut says something is off, but I don't know what!"

"So you automatically fill in the blanks with your wife, the woman who gave birth to your kids and risked her life thousands of times to save you? You think she's the reason why your damn gut says something is off? She has been loyal to you from day one Tony, why the hell would she break that now? And why do it by risking the life of the little girl she nearly died giving birth to, alone at that?"

Gibbs was pushing all the right buttons and Tony was getting pissed. "That was her choice to give birth to Tali alone! She had to be pronounced dead two years later before I even knew she'd been pregnant! How was that loyal?"

"Why didn't she tell you about Tali back then?"

"You know the answer to that already."

"Well I'm getting pretty damn old", he said sarcastically, "so remind me." Gibbs remembered but, just like he did to Ziva in MTAC, he needed to push Tony to a point of realization.

"She was scared and she didn't want to disrupt my life", he said plainly.

"Uhn huh, and how did she feel during that whole time?"

Tony sighed, "she felt horrible that she could never find the courage to tell me. She felt like she was betraying Tali and I for not knowing the truth. It killed her inside." He rubbed his head, "what's your point?"

"My point is that her feeling like she was betraying you was a clear indication that she was still loyal to you. Fear just got the best of her and that was a sign of her humanness. You've always looked at her as superwoman and that's not fair. To you, she's always been above natural basic human responses and errors, but at the end of the day she's still just a human. If you were so angry back then, why'd you track her down? Why'd you search the world to find her after everyone else gave up and said she was dead?"

"Because my gut was clear", he admitted. "They didn't find her body, and I knew deep down in my heart that that meant she was alive."

"Despite what Vance, Orli, me, and everyone else told you?"

"Yes."

"Your gut said otherwise so you took Tali and you went to find your woman?"

"Yes."

"Because you were loyal to your gut and your heart?"

"Yes."

"And with everything that happened now, would you do it all over again?"

"Of course", Tony didn't hesitate to answer.

 _Got him._ Gibbs smirked, "why Dinozzo? Why would you do it all over again if your gut is now telling you that something is off?"

"Because it's not Ziva that's off, it's me", again he didn't hesitate. He pushed through his thoughts, "It's this goddamn Lucifer or Benjamin being so silent and illusive that's getting to my fucking head. It's not knowing if my daughter is dead or alive and it's killing me! It's watching my son, who never shows any emotion during hard times, cry over his big sister being missing and trying desperately to cling on to hope! It's my wife having to relive the trauma of losing her child all over again because of some sick egomaniac! I'm off Gibbs, because my world has been turned upside down by a practical ghost and I can't seem to do shit about it!" He stopped, gasping for air as it all finally hit him like a ton of bricks.

Gibbs just leaned back and waited for him to finish.

He finally looked Gibbs directly in the eyes, "I was wrong last night. And I know I was but when I tried to apologize she cut me off and left. I knew she felt betrayed but I didn't go after her. To be honest, part of me still wants someone to blame but I know it shouldn't be her. Guess I just let my confusion get the best of me. Even this morning I woke up ready to put the blame back on her but I really I blame myself. I just ... I mean ... this thing is just so crazy and with so much of the past coming back to haunt us ... I guess ... I just ... I ..."

"Need answers", Gibbs finally helped.

"Right. I need answers."

"Rule number fifteen."

Tony nodded knowing what Gibbs was getting at. "Always work as a team", he quoted from memory.

"Exactly. You're problem is you've been trying to do this alone and you can't."

"Yeah, I see that now."

"So then go apologize to your wife, tell her everything you just told me. And then the both of you go find those answers so you can bring my granddaughter home, together."

* * *

 **So we've gotten deeper into this plot. Things are about to get crazy now ...**

 **Hope you all enjoyed. Please please please send me your feedback!**

 **Next chapter coming soon with more answers ...**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	14. Alive

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XIV - Alive

* * *

It had been a long grueling morning of trying to track down any leads on the whereabouts of Marko Johanson and Adolf Benjamin. Even with the real identity of Lucifer, the team was no further along with finding any new information than they had been when the case first started. It was frustrating to say the least.

Torres and Bishop returned to the squad room from going out to check another empty warehouse after finding nothing. Bishop sat on the floor behind her desk to try to go over all the files she had again to gain some new insight. Torres, on the other hand, walked up to McGee's desk and cleared his throat.

"You want something Torres", the seasoned team lead asked without looking away from his computer.

"Yeah, I want to go to lunch", he said impatiently.

"Did you find anything at that warehouse?" McGee's head still faced the computer screen.

"Obviously no", a clear attitude could be heard in his response. He knew the next thing McGee would say but he waited for him to speak anyway.

McGee looked up at him, "well then it looks like you're working through lunch until you find something."

Torres rolled his eyes, "with all do respect..."

"You know when people start a sentence with 'with all do respect' it's an indicator that they really aren't intending to be respectful in the statement that will follow", Tony interrupted as he entered the bullpen. "But please, continue, I'd love to hear what you have to say Torres."

The younger agent just sighed and turned to walk to his desk, "never mind."

"Bishop", Tony called causing the senior filed agent to stand from her position on the floor.

"Yes Sir?"

He walked over to her and handed her a posted note with an address on it and a 100 dollar bill. "You and Torres go check this place out", he paused and looked at Torres, "then go have lunch, on me."

Bishop smiled then nodded, "We will and thank you."

"No problem", Tony smirked as they left and Torres said nothing.

McGee shook his head, "that guy is getting worse by the day. It's starting to bother me. I feel like he's more harm than good on this case."

"Yeah", Tony agreed, "I've been contemplating switching him to another team until all this is over."

"I'm sure that's what he wants", McGee's annoyance was evident.

"That's exactly why I haven't done it. Won't give him the satisfaction just because he's pouting around like a baby."

McGee chuckled, "make him suffer through it just like we are."

"My thoughts exactly." Just then, Tali's phone started ringing from inside Tony's pocket. He pulled it out and showed McGee the caller ID: _'UNKNOWN'_

Taking a deep breath, he nodded at McGee to get ready to trace the call. When McGee gave him the thumbs up, Tony answered the call on speaker, "Hello?"

 _"Director Dinozzo?"_

Much to their surprise, the voice did not sound like Lucifer's. The accent was thick and the person sounded like he was in severe distress. Immediately, Tony knew who it was. "Officer Amadi?"

 _"Yes Sir",_ the young man's breathing was labored as he coughed and sighed in obvious pain.

"Officer, are you okay? Where is Tali? Is she okay? Do you know where he is holding you? How did you get to a phone?" Tony unintentionally ran off the questions quickly and paused himself to take a breath and slow down, "What is going on?"

 _"Sir, he gave me the phone to call you. I have no idea where I am but I'm pretty badly injured. I can't walk and they left me here, Sir. He said they were relocating. They packed up and took Tali's body with them."_

Tony's eyes glazed over with fear, "what do you mean they took Tali's body? Is my daughter alive Officer?"

Hunter tried to compose himself before continuing. _"This morning, Sir, I heard her screaming in another cell. Then I heard a gunshot. It got quiet, then I saw them carrying a body past my cell. Lucifer told me many things. I don't know what's truth and what's a lie. Please, Director, you have to get me out of here."_

Suddenly a ding rang out from McGee's computer. He look up at Tony and nodded.

"Officer Amadi, we have your location. I'm calling my people to come get you now then I'll call your father to ..."

 _"No"_ , Hunter shouted into the phone in a panic. _"My father can't know you've found me. As I said Sir, Lucifer told me a lot of things. I need to debrief you first before we involve my father."_

Tony was almost certainly confused as an eerie feeling crept up his spine. "Officer Amadi", he spoke as sternly as possible, "is your father involved in this?"

The young man paused to find his words then spoke honestly, _"I'm not sure if he is or not. But I know this is a matter of national security Sir. Please, just come get me."_ With that, the call ended.

Tony looked at the phone then back at McGee. "Call the extraction team then gear up. I'm going to get me and Ziva's gear from my office then I'll grab Ziva from MTAC to catch her up" He spoke as if he was on autopilot. It was a clear defense mechanism to try to block out the horrible things that flashed through his mind about Tali. He shook his head, "Wait for us downstairs, and we'll go together. Tell Bishop and Torres to meet us back here. You, Ziva, and I will process the scene ourselves."

"Okay", was all McGee said as he tried to block out his own negative thoughts about Tali's fate.

Tony headed towards the stairs and thought about what Hunter had said about is father. He stopped halfway up the steps and called to McGee, "and call Bethesda to get a medical team over here asap to treat Officer Amadi here. Explain the situation and tell them to be discreet about this, I don't want to risk taking him to a hospital and his father finding out. I need him debriefed first. Let everyone know that Director Amadi, nor his wife, are to be contacted on this until I give the greenlight."

McGee nodded as Tony continued to to his office.

* * *

Palmer walked off the elevator to enter Abby's lab with pizza for Anthony as he'd been hanging out in the lab with them all day. He stepped into the lab cheerfully and announced, "here you go III, medium pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese aka the Dinozzo Special!"

The young boy smiled as he took the box, "Thanks Uncle Jimmy! You're the best!"

"No problem my man!" Palmer's smile faded as Anthony took the pizza to the back of the lab and closed the door.

Abby noticed his sudden change in dimeanor. "What's wrong?"

"I ran into Tim gearing up with an extraction team in the garage. They found Hunter Amadi's location", he spoke while he looked towards the back of the lab. His face settled with worry.

"That's great, if they know where he is then they know where Tali is! We can bring them both home", Abby stated excitedly. When Palmer's face didn't change, she knew her excitement may have been premature. "Jimmy, they do know where Tali is too, right?"

Palmer shook his head and looked her, "According to Tim, the kidnappers have relocated and took Tali with them. They left Hunter behind because he's badly injured."

"Wait", Abby's head started spinning, "how do they know all this? Did Benjamin call again?"

"No, Hunter called Tony. He said they gave him the phone to call right before they left. He also said that they carried Tali out after he heard a gunshot. He doesn't know her condition."

They both looked through the glass towards where Anthony was happily eating his pizza and laughing at a movie. "Jimmy, this could be really bad." Tears welled up in her eyes, "what if Tali is ...", she couldn't bring herself to say it as Palmer pulled her into a hug and they both sent up silent prayers to any god who would listen.

 _Please let Tali be alive._

* * *

The ride to Hunter's location was long and quiet. Tony drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other intertwined with Ziva's. His thumb rubbing the back of her hand gently as she stared blankly out the window.

McGee sat in the back seat, staring at his bestfriends hands laced together. _God, they've been through enough already, don't you think?_ He felt like screaming and anger coursed through him. Not being able to find Tali had been horrible enough but now, with there actually being a confirmed possibility that she was dead, he felt worse. Not just because she was his bestfriends daughter, but also because she was his niece and he loved her just as much as his own kids. There was no doubt in his mind now that he needed to really up his game. They may not have been blood related but they were still his family. And for his family, he'd do anything. _This bastard is going to pay. After we get Officer Amadi's report, I'm going to find Benjamin and skin him alive myself._

Not long after McGee's thought, they pulled up to an old run down looking abandoned warehouse. A caravan of NCIS armored trucks were already there waiting for them to arrive as they all got out the car.

The lead agent of the extraction unit walked over to them, "Director, the building looks empty except for one person. Thermal imaging shows someone on the ground on the west side of the building. We suspect that it's Officer Amadi. My men found tire tracks and a bomb shelter access door on that side as well. It is possible that more are inside though, something is altering our image scan on the east side."

"Probably some type of jammer placed inside that allows outgoing signals but not incoming", McGee posed. "Like how we secure our scifs at the Navy Yard. That's probably why we couldn't get a trace or read on them before."

"That's what we thought as well Agent McGee", the agent responded then turned his attention back to Tony. "I have three men already positioned on that roof over there", he pointed to the only other building in sight. "The rest of us are waiting for your order Director, how would you like us to proceed?"

Tony glanced at Ziva who gave him a look of approval that she was ready then back at his agents, "you and half of your men take the east side with Agent McGee. The other half of your men come with me and Agent Dinozzo. Sweep through quickly then meet us on the west side."

They all nodded and cautiously headed towards the building to take position. Once in place, Tony called over his mic, "everyone in position?"

"That's a copy Boss", McGee responded. "In position."

"On my count then. Three ... two ... one ... now!"

As Tony order, both teams entered the building from both entrances. A few men ran in first with Ziva and Tony following behind.

"Federal Agents", Ziva announced as they went through the long corridor. Every room was cleared except for one with a locked door. She nodded to Tony and he signaled for one of the men from the extraction unit to bust it open.

When the door opened, Ziva and Tony rushed the room and found Hunter barely conscious on the floor with his hands and feet tied by rope. Hunter was clutching the phone he'd used to call them with in his hands.

"I'm so sorry", was all the young man kept saying as they untied him.

"It's okay, Officer Amadi", Ziva said softly, "we're going to get you out of here. You're safe now."

"But Tali is ..." his head fell back and his body went limp as he passed out. Ziva looked up at Tony with tear stained cheeks and horror filled eyes as she held the young man.

Before Tony could form words, McGee walked into the room, "Boss, is he okay?"

"Yeah", Tony responded in a whisper without looking away from Ziva's gaze, "he just passed out. What did you find?"

"As suspected, we found a jammer in one of the rooms but that's it. Everything else looks like it's completely wiped clean. There's no trace that anyone except Officer Amadi was here." He looked at the poor state Hunter was in and couldn't help but to wonder how much worse Tali could have looked. He felt his anger rising again as he rubbed one of his temples. _I'm definitely going to skin that bastard alive._


	15. Smile

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **WARNING: Mention of rape and torture.**

Chapter XV - Smile

* * *

After a few hours of searching for any evidence inside the warehouse and the building adjacent to it, Tony, Ziva, and McGee finally returned to the Navy Yard. Torres met them in the garage and signed for the evidence so he could take it to Abby. Once they got that squared away, they headed straight to the conference room that Hunter was taken to after a medical team treated his wounds and injuries. Bishop waited quietly with him until they arrived. When they entered, Bishop left and closed the door behind her. McGee then placed his finger on a biometric scanner under the table that immediately put the room in SCIF mode. Ziva and Tony sat across from Hunter and McGee sat in the chair next to him.

It was quiet for a few moments then Hunter broke the silence. "Director and Agent Dinozzo, I'm so sorry", he said softly as he shook his head in defeat.

Ziva reached for Tony's hand under the table and squeezed it as she fought back her tears. Tony looked at her then back at Hunter, "Officer Amadi, we need to know everything from the beginning. Please, I know it's a lot right now, but be as detailed as possible from the moment they captured you."

The young man gave an understanding nod and took a deep breath. "I was leaving the gym on Okie Street when I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. That was eleven days ago."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in disbelief then at McGee. "Wait, eleven days", McGee asked. "So you were taken three days before Tali?"

Hunter nodded, "I guess so. I wasn't sure how many days I had been there when Tali got there." His eyes looked saddened as he proceeded to tell them what happened. "When I woke up on what I believe was the first day, I was in a large dimly lit room and Lucifer was standing over top of me. I was tied up with rope and he had my mouth covered with tape. He started kicking me senselessly but he didn't speak. I think I took a kick to the head and was knocked out because, after a while, I found myself waking up again. But that next time I was tied to a chair and three masked men took turns wailing me with punches."

He paused to shift in the chair as he felt a low pulsing pain come up the side where his ribs had been broken. When he was situated again, he continued, "It had become the normal thing over and over, then they moved me out of the room one day for a while. Lucifer was beating me up again when one of his men came in and whispered something to him. He left but I could tell he was pissed about something. I could hear him shouting about a girl and then I heard three shots. I was pretty out of it so I don't know what was going on, I mostly just remember the shots. Shortly after that, his men came back to get me. One of them must have clocked me in the head because it got really fuzzy after that. But I think I remember being literally thrown back into the other room and Tali was there. I heard her crying over me and asking for help. She was trying to get them to save me because my head was bleeding. I must have passed out again right after that." Hunter sighed and rubbed his head as he recalled the events he'd described so far.

Ziva took the moment of silence to reassure him, "you're doing good so far Hunter. Whenever you're ready, continue."

He took a few more moments then started again, "When I woke up again, Tali and I talked. Mainly about who I am and the possibilities of why we'd been taken. When she told me her name, I put two and two together and figured he'd taken us to stop the deal signing."

"Did you tell Tali about it", Tony interrupted.

"I know it's classified information, so I told her only as much as I could. She was more concerned about why Lucifer had called her 'the key'. I felt maybe he was going to use her as his in to stop the deal and then sell her off to some ... some perve politician looking to buy a virgin girl or something."

"What made you draw to that conclusion", McGee asked.

"I remembered one of his men talking about something like that when they had dragged me back to the room. He was saying that Lucifer had plans to sell her for top dollar on the hill. I wasn't completely sure because I was hazy so I didn't tell Tali. I'm pretty sure she knew I was holding back, but I really didn't want to scare her anymore than she was already scared."

"Hunter", Ziva reluctantly spoke, "your parents were sent a video of you being chained to a pipe and beaten by Benjamin ..."

"Benjamin?" This was the first time Hunter had heard his captor called by another name.

"Yes", Ziva continued, "Adolf Benjamin is his real name. He sent them a video of him hitting you with a bat and Tali was being forced to watch. Do you recall what happened that day?"

"That was the day the real torture started. He cut me and beat me to a pulp. When I was almost complete broken physically, Tali ... she um ... she stopped him."

"How did she stop him", Tony asked. All three of them really focusing on Hunter's words now.

"She screamed 'enough' and it was like everything in the room froze." He took a deep breath. "Luci .. Benjamin", he corrected himself, "turned his attention to her and started taunting her. Tali was tough for a moment though, she spit in the bastard's face. That's when he really lived up to the name Lucifer though." He paused again and his eyes grew wide as he remembered what happened next. "He made his men leave the room then he uh .. he carved the swastika into her back like he did mine, but her's is smaller. After that he started choking her until she almost suffocated. He um, he did that a few times before he ..." Hunter sighed. His face contorting as the feeling of helplessness hit him all over again.

As hard as it was to hear, they knew it was necessary to know every detail. While Ziva forced her tears back again, she nodded and said, "please, Hunter, we need to know what happens next."

He took another deep breath and finished, "he cut her clothes off then started to punch her." His voice started to tremble as tears now welled in his eyes, "I begged him to stop but he just kept going. It was fun for him and uh ... I was going in and out but eventually I saw that he had loosened her and she tried to fight back but he overpowered her." He closed his eyes as the tear now flowed freely down his face, "he pinned her down and she screamed, when I heard her I opened my eyes and he was on top of her. She was looking at me and I wanted to get to her but I was chained. Then ... he was ... inside her. Right there in front of me, just a few feet away, he was raping her. And I couldn't ... I couldn't save ...". Hunter opened his eyes and looked directly at Tony and Ziva, "I'm so sorry. I wanted to save her. Tali needed me and I couldn't ... I couldn't ...". His words completely failed him and he started hyperventilating.

McGee put his hand on the teen's shoulder as Tony walked over to help calm him down. Ziva stood up and ran out the conference room crying. McGee caught Tony's gaze, "go check on her, Boss. I've got him." Tony nodded and rushed out the room to go after Ziva.

* * *

When Tony reached Ziva, she was stepping onto to the elevator. He slipped in right before the doors closed. When they shut completely, Tony hit the 'emergency stop' and took Ziva in his arms. As she nestled her face into his chest, she started crying harder. Tony felt her body shaking and eased her down to the floor. They sat curled up for a while without speaking. The only sounds were the whimpers coming from Ziva as her tears soaked Tony's shirt. Both of them feeling a wide of mix of emotions as the harsh reality hit them— their little girl had been violated.

Tony stroked Ziva's hair and kissed her forehead softly. _What do I do?_ He had no idea of what feeling to settle on or what to even begin to say. Truthfully, he wanted to breakdown too but that wasn't what his wife needed. So, he kissed her softly again and reassured her that he would make everything right through his embrace.

After her tears slowed down, Ziva looked up at Tony with terror filled eyes. "All I can think about is Somalia", she choked out. It wasn't something she ever talked about. At least not in detail. It killed Tony as she finally verbalized that part of her time in that prison camp so many years ago."Saleem and his men took turns every night ... raping me ... or breaking me in as they referred to it. It wasn't the first time it had happened in my life, but it was the worst time. There's no other pain in the world like it."

"Zi, I'm sorry", was all he could say.

She sniffled then laid her head back on his chest. "Tony, he stole her innocence. God only knows how many times in the last eights days that he had his way with her. I can't shake what Hunter said. She was screaming this morning, what if Benjamin or his men were ... oh God ... And now we don't even know if she's still ...". Her body started trembling again.

"Sshhh, don't babe", Tony stopped her from saying the only thing that could be worse than what they had just been told. Ziva started crying hysterically and, this time, Tony couldn't hold it in. They both cried together on the elevator floor. It wasn't typical of them, but nothing in the past week had been typical. For the sake of emotional release, though, right now the moment was necessary.

* * *

A half hour later, the once extremely vulnerable and emotional parents were back in the conference room. They had braced themselves before exiting the elevator and had now shifted back to government agent mode. It was hard but they still needed information.

There was more truth to be heard. So when the conference room was secure and in SCIF mode again, Ziva looked back across the table at Hunter. "Officer Amadi, I apologize for exiting the way I did. Please understand, that none of this was your fault ..."

"That's what he said", the young man whispsered.

"Excuse me", Ziva asked as both Tony and McGee's facial expression matched her own face of curiosity.

"Lucifer ... I mean, Benjamin ... that's what he said this morning. That none of this was my fault. That I'm just a victim of my own DNA."

 _His own DNA? ... His father._ Tony looked at him intently, "is that why you didn't want me to tell your father your whereabouts? Did Benjamin say that your father is involved?"

"According to him, my father is the mastermind behind the whole thing. There are attacks being setup. My father pushing for me to be a liason at NCIS was just to coverup his involvement and make him look like a victim just as you and Agent Dinozzo would, Sir." He paused then turned his attention to Ziva, "Benjamin said that it was my father who got him out of prison and told him to kidnap Tali as payback for Agent Dinozzo locking him up."

 _It is my fault._ Ziva felt Tony squeeze her thigh under the table. She looked at him as he mouthed, ' _It's not your fault'_ then kissed her forehead.

Hunter and McGee both watched the exchange and immediately reiterated in unison, "It's not your fault."

"I was the target the entire time, ma'am. Benjamin hadn't even thought about getting payback until my father had mentioned it to him. At least, that's what he said. Apparently this plan has been in the making for years. And Benjamin claims that my father has actually been playing dirty from the beginning."

"Do you believe Benjamin", McGee asked the question for everyone.

"At first I didn't", he cracked his neck and let out a heavy sigh, "but now I don't know. I have no proof but Benjamin says my father is still in DC. And some of the other stuff he said got me thinking all sorts of things."

"What other stuff? Things like what", Tony pressed.

"Like how you guys were using every resource you have here to find him and get Tali back. How my father called off his own search at SASS for me. He told me he wanted to let me go because my father was playing him and he had no actual use for me. How kidnapping us had nothing to actually do with you guys not signing the deal. This whole thing is just one big distraction from what my father is really planning, a rebel strike on American soil to take out most of the government agencies."

Hunter shook his head, "part of it seems like a lie but I genuinely believed him when he said that I was at his mercy so he had no possible reason to lie to me. He was right, he could have killed me but instead he let me go. He purposely gave me that phone with the number to get into direct contact with you. I believe he is intent on one thing now, and that is to get back at my father for even involving him in all of this. I think he truly believes that we share a connection as soldiers following my father's orders and getting played."

Before another word was spoken, the buzzer from outside the door went off, causing a video image of Abby to pop up on a monitor in the corner. "Tony, you guys have to let me in, like now!" She was holding a laptop and pacing in front of the door.

"Abby, we are debriefing", Tony responded.

"I know that but you know I wouldn't interrupt if it wasn't absolutely important. Please, all of you need to see this RIGHT NOW! Including Hunter!"

Tony sighed and nodded to McGee to open the door.

"What is so important Abby that it couldn't wait", the tone of Tony's voice making it evident that it had better be good or she was going to be in trouble for interrupting them.

"Okay look", Abby sat the laptop on the table then, with few strokes of the keyboard, she pulled up two identical looking pictures on the monitor for everyone to see. "What is that", she asked as she walked to the monitor and pointed between the two pictures.

"That's two pictures of the room we found Officer Amadi in", McGee stated the obvious.

Abby shook her head, "you are half right and half wrong!" Everyone looked at her as if she was crazy. "Look closer! Like really REALLY close! Do you see it?"

Tony tried his best not to let his irritation rise, "Abby, we don't have time to play this game, just tell us."

"Fine", her tone shifted slightly as she picked up on Tony's annoyed vibe. "The picture on the right IS IN FACT the room that you found Hunter in. BUT, the picture on the left is from the ACTUAL place that he and Tali were kept."

"What", everyone asked at the same time.

"Right! That's exactly what I said when I noticed it! They only used the location we found Hunter in for today. Before today, they were both held some place entirely different. When they left Hunter today, they weren't actually relocating, they were just going back to the original location."

Ziva was the first to ask what everyone else was thinking, "how do you know this Abby? They look completely identical."

Abby smirked, "because of the wall patterns. The picture Tim took today showed different brick work than the pictures the kidnappers tried to delete off of the burn phone they gave Hunter." Everyone readjusted their focus and realized she was right about the patterns. "I'm still working on back tracing the burn phone to see if I can get the location of where this picture on the left was taken. But, based on the nasty stuff I found in Hunter's tox screen, I can confirm that it is possible that the kids were knocked out by a real icky serum and then moved to someplace staged just to throw us off."

"The lights and the door", Hunter said as if he'd had a revelation.

"What about the lights and the door", McGee said as everyone looked at Hunter.

"When I heard the screaming I was coming out of crazy haze. It was the same feeling I got after every time they injected us with that stuff. When I was almost fully alert, the lights were off and it threw me for a loop. In all our time there, the lights were never off. When Benjamin finished with Tali, he came in the room and flicked a light switch. There's never been a light switch before. And the door was clean. Both mine and Tali's blood should be on the back of that door. Abby has to be right."

Ziva reached across the table and grabbed Hunter's hand, "Are you sure the room was different?" Her emotions were mixed but something that felt like hope was creeping up above all else.

"Yes ma'am, I'm positive", it was the first time since being there that his voice boomed with confidence.

Tony felt his gut trying to tell him something as he looked at Hunter then back at the pictures. He just wasn't sure what it was yet. Still though, for now he wanted to believe in Abby's findings and that Hunter was completely sure. He stood up, "McGee, go with Abby and help her in the lab. Find me something, anything that points us to the direction of where that other photo was taken." They immediately did as they were told and left.

"Tony", Ziva gently tugged his wrist and looked up to meet his gaze, "Hunter needs to rest and recover and he needs protection. I think we should put him in a safe house. We can finish debriefing in the morning. Plus, I have a hunch about something, I need to go to MTAC."

"What's the hunch", Hunter asked curiously.

"You said Benjamin said that Director Amadi is still in DC but you don't have proof. If he is still here, I can track him down from the time he left here. The hunch is that, as insane as I feel saying this, Benjamin is telling the truth."

She paused to gauge Tony's reaction then continued, "He found out Director Amadi broke protocol and possibly played him, so his own plans changed. That's why we never got a call following the first one. The kidnappers made sense on day one but now there is no sense at all. The only logical thing there could be is that Benjamin's own motives have shifted. I'm thinking, we take Benjamin at his word about there being attacks set up. We find Director Amadi, we shutdown the attacks and he could also lead us to where Benjamin is with Tali."

"That's sounds smart", Hunter agreed.

Tony nodded, "Okay babe, you head to MTAC to work on that and I'll get Officer Amadi set up at a safe house. You going to be okay with just staying with III tonight? I want to keep the first watch on Officer Amadi."

Ziva stood from her seat and pecked Tony's lips, "We'll be fine. You just be safe."

"Always", he said as he gave her another quick kiss. That was enough to assure Ziva, she smiled then left to go to MTAC. Tony looked at Hunter who had a smile on his face now too and looked to be in a daze, "what is it Officer Amadi?"

The young man snapped out of his trance, "Nothing ... just ... in my thoughts. Actually the only good thoughts I have of this whole ordeal, Sir."

"And what is that", Tony said as he walked over to the back of Hunter's wheelchair to take him out of the room.

"All of Tali's stories about her parent's perfect love and her perfect family. She never stopped talking about it ... Now I see why." He looked up behind him as they started to exit, and caught Tony's hopeful smile.


	16. Boom!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XVI - Boom

* * *

The ride to the safehouse was fairly quick. Tony had stopped once to pick up medication for Hunter and then to buy a few pizzas and soda. After that, he drove to the place where Hunter would be staying for the next few weeks to heal. When they arrived, Tony used a burn phone to check in with Ziva and the team then helped Hunter to get settled.

"How you feeling", he asked the younger man as he entered into the back bedroom of the safehouse with two plates of pizza and two sodas.

Hunter shifted himself on the bed, "I'm alright, Sir. Just some discomfort but I'll be fine."

"That's to be expected", he nodded knowingly. "Hungry?"

"Surprisingly, no. I should be, considering what I've been eating that last eleven days, but I don't really have an appetite."

"Well you have to take these meds, so you're going to have to eat at least a slice. You need to heal properly, not going to be able to do that without the meds."

Tony sounded completely fatherly. It was different for Hunter. He chuckled, "You know Sir, my father would have told me to just suck it up. He'd never talk to me about meds or cared if I took them for that matter. His response would probably be, 'Hunter you don't have time to rest. Get your shit together and get back to the mission". The young man shook his head.

For some reason, that didn't surprise Tony. "Well, I'm not your father but I'm sure he was just trying to train you up to be a good soldier. He still cares though. At least he seemed to care a lot the day he came to my office."

Hunter rolled his eyes, "he always cares in the company of others."

Tony handed him a plate then sat down in a chair next to the bed, "be honest with me, do you think Director Amadi is involved in all of this?"

"The more I think about it, the more I believe that he is", Hunter responded after taking a bite. "Somehow, it just makes sense to me. I mean, I'm not discrediting myself as a soldier nor am I discrediting my abilities, but what father actually trains and sends their 19 year old kid to another country to work as a spy of sorts?"

"Ziva's father", Tony chuckled. Hunter looked at him confused. "My wife, Agent Dinozzo, when she was your age she was already a highly trained and feared assasin. Her father was the one who trained her and sent her out on most of her ops."

"Wow", the young man was surprised. "I didn't read that part on Agent Dinozzo's dossier and Tali never mentioned that when she talked about you guys."

"Yeah, we don't really talk to our kids about our past too much. They of course know that we've been government officers for years and that we've killed but work is not usually what we discuss around our dinner table."

"Now Tali did tell me that. She said you and Agent Dinozzo are really protective of her and your son. My father has never been protective. He seems to always send me into the way of danger. When Tali talked about you, I couldn't help but to think how our lives are so different. How I would have loved to know that kind of sincerity within my parents growing up." Hunter paused then spoke again, "Sir, can I ask you something?" He took his final bite of pizza and washed it down with soda while he waited for Tony to respond.

"Ziva and I both come from broken homes, so we swore that we'd raise our children differently. We went through hell growing up. Ziva worse than I, but hell nonetheless. We never want our kids to know that kind of hell", he stopped to think about Tali. Guilt and anger washed over him as his mind wandered to what Hunter told him earlier about what Benjamin had done to his princess. Quickly, he tried to shake the feeling and focus back on Hunter, "what did you want to ask?"

"What do I do if my father really is behind all of this, Sir?"

It was a loaded question, one that the seasoned agent wasn't sure he could answer. Tony paused to give himself a moment to think. "To be honest, I don't know. I could tell you to forgive him and move on with your life but I know that's not simple. Only you can truly answer that question. You'll know the answer when we finally find out the truth."

Hunter shook his head in agreement. "Well, I hope we find the truth soon. Being confused feels worse than these broken ribs", although he laughed slightly, it was a serious statement.

For a moment, Tony felt sorry for the teenager. He saw a lot of himself within him. He tried to reassure him, "don't worry, my people will find the answers you need. If anyone can find the truth about your father, it's my wife. For now, just focus on getting some rest Officer Amadi. We'll be heading back to the Navy Yard at 0700."

"Yes Sir."

Tony nodded, grabbed the plates then went to exit the room. "If you need something, just holler", he said as he closed the door. _Poor kid, we need the truth. Sooner than later, God._

* * *

Anthony sat in his father's dark office looking at his phone. It was 3AM and the 12 year old found it hard to sleep knowing that his 'protector' was missing. He cried silent tears and scrolled through pictures of him and Tali. It was overwhelming to think about what she could possibly be going through but he couldn't get his mind off it. _I hope they're not hurting you Tal._ He sighed heavily and sniffled.

Before he could wipe away the tears, Ziva was by his side and wiped his cheeks. He flinched slightly but then relaxed when he realized it was just his mother, "Ima you scared me."

" _I'm sorry my little lamb"_ , she spoke in Hebrew. Ziva had come to find years ago that speaking her nature tongue always soothed both Tali and Anthony. This moment was no different as Anthony shifted to lay in her arms.

 _"I miss Tali",_ the boy spoke as he lifted his phone for Ziva to see the picture he was looking at. It was him and Tali making goofy faces in front of the Eiffel Tower as Ziva and Tony kissed in the background.

 _"I remember that night_ ", she laughed. "You and Tali argued all morning and through the entire plane ride but as soon as we landed in Paris you two went completely nuts and turned into total goof balls." She looked down at her son and realized he was crying again. Pulling him tighter, she kissed the top of his head and whispered, _"I miss her too."_

Anthony put his phone down and nestled into her embrace as Ziva started singing his favorite Hebrew lullaby. It didn't matter how old he got, Anthony loved it and always felt secure when she sung it. He mouthed the words as she sang until he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _What the hell was that?_ Tony jumped up from the couch with his gun drawn. He quickly made his way to the room where Hunter was. The young man was leaning against the wall with a crutch in his hand. His stance showing he thought something was wrong.

"You heard it too", he asked the older man in a whisper.

Tony put his finger to his lips to signal Hunter to be quiet. He reached for his backup gun and handed it to Hunter but signaled for him to get down. Tony didn't want to take any chances with the young officer's ankle being broken. "Wait here", he whispered, "anyone other than me comes in this room, take the shot."

The young man nodded and watched as Tony went back out into the hall. Tony searched the entire safehouse but found nothing out of order. _Maybe it was nothing._ He shook his head and turned back to go to Hunter's room. It was when he turned that he saw an image run past in all black with a black ski mask.

"Federal Agent, stop", he yelled as he chased the figure out the door. He stopped in the middle of the dirt road and saw the intruder climbing into a black van. He let off shots until his clip was empty. Many of the rounds hitting the van as it pulled off but he was sure he hit the intruder too.

"Fuck", he yelled in frustration. _How the fuck did someone find this place?_ He pulled his phone from his pocket and hit McGee's speed dial.

 _"McGee",_ he answered groggily.

"Tim, come to the safehouse now. We have a problem."

 _"What happened Boss?",_ Tony could hear him getting out of bed and shuffling to throw on clothes.

"There was an intruder. Dressed just like the guys from the video. He ran but I think I clipped him. Get over here asap and call your team in. They left tire tracks. Not sure what he touched in the house."

 _"And Amadi?"_

"He's okay, just get over here."

 _"On my way Boss."_

Tony ended the call and turned to walk back to the house then ... *BOOM*

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGERRRRRRRR! LoL**

 **Review . Review ... REVIEW!**

 **Next Chapter Soon Come!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	17. What Next?

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XVII - What Next?

* * *

 _... *BOOM* ..._

The entire front half of the safehouse engulfed in flames as Tony dropped his phone and sprinted towards it. _Shit! Hunter!_ He ran to the back but was quickly reminded that there was no entry that way. _Dammit! Hunter hold on!_ Finding the window to the room he left Hunter in, Tony used the butt of his gun to break the glass and carefully climbed through. Smoke quickly filled the air and he could see the flames making their way towards the room from the hallway.

"Hunter! Hunter, where are you!?" He looked around but didn't see him in the room.

 _Fuck!_

Tony ran to the hallway, which was half in flames, and found the young officer laying on the floor, lifeless. Immediately he ran to him and pulled his arms up to drag him back into the bedroom.

"I got you Hunter, I got you, just stay with me kid. I promise, I'm gonna get you out of here."

He was out of breath as the smoke started to enter his lungs but he knew he had to get them both out. Using the front door wasn't an option so he'd have to go out the same way he came in, the window.

 _How the fuck am I going to get him out of here?_

Tony thought quickly and grabbed a sheet off the bed to wrap Hunter's body in it so he could pull him out of the window easier. Given his injuries, Tony knew he had to careful not to agitate them anymore than the already were or the young man could be in serious trouble.

The flames were getting close ... too close. Spreading into the room rapidly and now making it increasing harder to breathe. Tony moved as fast as he could and climbed back out the window, then reach in to grab the edge of the sheet to carefully and swiftly pull Hunter out.

Just when they we both securely on the ground, another explosion went off knocking Tony back a few feet causing him to land on his side and hit his head hard on the ground.

Both men laid there on the ground with no movement. Their lifeless bodies covered by debris from the blast. Both in desperate need of help.

* * *

 _*BREAKING NEWS*_

 _MULTIPLE BOMB BLASTS GO OFF AT A HOUSE JUST OUTSIDE OF DC._

 _MULTIPLE VICTIMS WERE IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME OF THIS GRUESOME ATTACK._

 _ONE OF THE VICTIMS IS SAID TO BE, NCIS DIRECTOR, ANTHONY DINOZZO JR._

 _NO NEWS YET ON THE CONDITION OF DIRECTOR DINOZZO OR CONFIRMATION ON THE IDENTITY OF THE OTHER VICTIM._

 _STAY TUNED TO 103.5 WTOP-FM FOR MORE DETAILS AS THEY UNFOLD._

Ziva drove faster than she ever had to where the safehouse once stood. McGee had called Bishop about the intrusion and then called Ziva who insisted that she be there. Bishop sat in the passenger seat and turned the radio off shaking her head and hoping Tony and Hunter were okay.

"How the hell does the radio have that information already?", Bishop asked in frustration. Just moments before leaving the Navy Yard they had gotten another call from McGee who'd just been informed that there was an explosion by the agent he had called to meet them at the house after Torres was unreachable.

Ziva said nothing. She just put her foot down heavier on the pedal and focused on getting to Tony. _I'm coming my love. Just hold on._

In record time they arrived, with Tim pulling up at exactly the same time. Firefighters were already on the scene trying to put out the raging the fire. As well as a band of police officers and first responders. When they all got out of their cars, they stood in a momentary trance in shock of the image before them. Flashbacks of the mortar fire that nearly took her life and Tali's, 15 years ago, went through Ziva's mind.

She shook the images and looked up to see paramedics wheeling a body towards them. _Oh God._ She couldn't bring herself to speak.

McGee finally snapped out of his shock and stopped the EMT's, flashing his badge. He ran over to where they were and saw that it was Hunter unconscious and barely breathing under the oxygen mask.

One of the EMTs spoke, "we found him at the back of the house under some debris. Looks like he got out just before the bomb went off."

"How bad is he", McGee asked.

"Looks like he had prior injuries that may have gotten worse, could be some internal bleeding and a definite concussion. Also some smoke inhalation. We need to get him to the ER immediately though, doctors can tell better than we can at the moment."

"Where's the other man", Ziva pressed as she and Bishop had followed behind McGee.

"We didn't find anyone else ma'am", the EMT looked at her puzzled.

"My husband was in that house", her voice elevated and Bishop tried to calm her but she pulled away and ran towards the still burning building.

"Ziva", Bishop yelled and ran after her.

"Get him out of here quickly", McGee told the EMT's then went to two of the officers on the scene. "My name is Special Agent Tim McGee with NCIS", he flashed his badge again. "I need you two to follow that ambulance and keep watch over the young man inside once they get him to the ER. This is matter of national security. No one, outside of the doctors, is to go near him or get any information about him unless they have an NCIS badge. I will send my people to meet you there shortly." Both officers nodded without asking any questions and left to follow McGee's instructions.

McGee turned his attention back to the house and headed to the area he saw Ziva and Bishop run to. When he reached the back of the house, the scene was worse than it was in the front. Far more pieces of debris were scattered everywhere. Ziva and Bishop were lifting pieces of the house's siding on either side of the yard.

Suddenly Ziva screamed, "Tony!" She gasped and threw the piece of siding in her hands to the side. Bishop and McGee both came over to her as she knelt down to check his pulse. She looked up at them, "he's still breathing! Get someone quick!"

Bishop moved without hesitation to go inform another set of EMT's that were at the front of the house to come.

Ziva forced back tears as she held Tony's hand and rocked from side to side. Not knowing his injuries, she didn't want to move him too much. "I'm right here with you my love. Please, just hold on. I'm right here." She lowered to kiss his forehead as the EMT's returned with Bishop. Reluctantly, she moved out of the way for them to work. McGee draped his arm over her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze as all three agents seemed to go back into a shock induced trance.

* * *

The sun had finally come up after the hours slowly crept by as Ziva sat in tears in the hospital waiting room with Gibbs holding her tight. Security was still on high alert and there was a mix of NCIS and FBI agents standing watch. Finally, a doctor emerged before them looking just as drained as they were.

"Agent Dinozzo?" She asked. Ziva looked up and nodded. "My name is Dr. Copeland, I've been working on Director Dinozzo and have also been tasked to update you on Officer Amadi."

Ziva didn't bother to wipe her tears as she stood, "Yes, how are they? Is my husband okay?"

Dr. Copeland nodded, "Director Dinozzo sustained some minor injuries to his left wrist and shoulder, there was some smoke inhalation as well, and he has a severe concussion. He is still unconscious now and, judging by the way he hit his head, he may stay that way for a few days. I expect that, when he comes to, there may be some temporary memory loss. But I have no doubt he will definitely make a full recovery. We just need to give his body some time."

 _Oh thank God! We can deal with that as long as he recovers._ Ziva let out a sigh of relief and a small hopeful smile crept up on her face. "And Hunter, how is he?" The doctor's eyes flashed with sympathy and hesitation to speak. It didn't go unnoticed by Ziva or Gibbs. Instantly, Ziva's smile faded as she absentmindedly grabbed Gibbs' hand.

"Please ma'am", Gibbs finally stood and spoke while gripping Ziva's hand tighter, "we need to know his condition."

Dr. Copeland nodded and took a deep breath. "As you know, Officer Amadi already had a broken ankle and three broken ribs. Due to his proximity to the fire, he had major smoke inhalation causing serious damage to his lungs and the lack of oxygen to his brain caused some damage as well. The blast from the explosion did the most damage however. The debris from the house falling on top of him caused major internal bleeding. His doctors tried as best they could to stop the bleeding but there were many complications ..."

Ziva spaced out and Dr. Copeland's voice began to become completely muffled as she felt a stinging pain rise through her entire body. Grief and guilt weren't too far behind as the room started spinning. It was all becoming too much ...

 _First Tali. Now Tony and Hunter. What next?_


	18. Agent Torres

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **Long chapter. Thickening plot. More questions. More answers.**

 **Tali's fate. Director Amadi's whereabouts. Ziva shifts.**

 **Keep the feedback coming! Please and thanks!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter XVIII - Agent Torres

* * *

"Dammit, where are you? I'm getting worried and McGee is past the point of being pissed. You really need to call us back ASAP or just get to the Navy Yard! This is serious!" Bishop hung up her phone after leaving a fifth message on Torres' voicemail. She sighed as she looked back over at McGee. "Still going straight to voicemail."

McGee shook his head, "Rule #3B."

"Never be unreachable." Bishop spoke automatically as she recalled the Gibbs rule.

"Exactly", McGee rubbed his forehead absently. "I don't have time to worry about this when there's so much work to be done. We need to figure out how someone got the location of the safehouse and was able to blow it up."

"And how the radio station got that information before we released it to the public", Bishop added.

"Agent McGee?" One of the techs from MTAC interrupted as he walked over to McGee's desk with purpose. "We found something!"

McGee stood in anticipation. "What is it Max?"

"Well, as you know, Agent DiNozzo has us meticulously going through flight plans and airport surveillance videos. We found the original flight plan for Director Amadi and his wife for their private jet to leave out of Reagan nine days ago, which seemed perfectly normal and accurate given the infromation that was given to Agent DiNozzo. But then we found something perculiar."

"Which is?" McGee asked impatiently.

"A second flight plan to leave out of Dulles with the same jet, time, and date. We believe this is an altered document, Sir. It's possible that Director Amadi never left."

"Okay, call Agent Dinozzo and give her an update. Scour those videos and give me proof that he never left. Link up with Abby and have her run facial recognition on the surveillance as well. It will make this process go faster."

"I already called Agent Dinozzo to let her know. And I sent copies of the videos to Abby as well, Sir. She's running it as we speak", Max informed with a little bit of pride that he was one step ahead of his tech mentor.

"That's good work Max. Let's get back to it", McGee patted the man's back.

Max smiled and nodded in thanks, then went back to work in MTAC.

"Looks like Benjamin might of actually told Hunter the truth about Amadi still being here", Bishop's voice was laced in surprise at her own words.

McGee let out of heavy sigh, "Yeah, which makes me think he was also telling the truth about everything else and I don't like it. Not with Tony still being unconscious in the hospital and Torres being MIA. We need all hands on deck with this now."

"Can't you call it?" Bishop asked, already expecting that McGee would have taken charge over everything.

"I can't just yet", he explained. "SecNav has to make the decision on whether or not to let us handle the rest of this or to turn it over to FBI as the bombing would have made it their jurisdiction. This is no longer just a kidnapping case. It started being viewed as a terrorist attack the moment that house blew up. For now, we just work the case as we have been. I spoke to Gibbs earlier and he said that Ziva was in contact with SecNav, the Director of FBI, and Homeland so when she gets back we'll know something."

As if perfectly on cue, the elevator doors opened and Ziva entered the squad room like she was on the warpath. "Everyone listen up! I need your complete focus", she yelled at the entire room and every agent stopped what they were doing to give their full undivided attention. She posted three pictures on the 'most wanted' wall with force. The scene almost completely identical to that of when Gibbs had added Harper Dearing to the wall years ago.

"Adolf Benjamin. Marko Johanson. Director Mohammed Amadi. As of ten hours ago, these men are wanted for acts of terrorism and conspiracy. For kidnapping, torturing, and still holding Tali Dinozzo as prisoner. For the bombing attack on Director DiNozzo and Officer Amadi at a government safehouse. For threats to the national security of our Nation's agencies and its armed forces. I WANT THESE MEN! No one is to work on anything else until they are found and brought in. FBI and Homeland will help aid in the search. Everyone is now officially on the case. It's all hands on deck people so go find them ... NOW!"

Her voice was stern and unwavering. Her words were clear and direct. No one hesitated to begin working as she turned to go to the stairs. She stopped momentarily and looked at McGee, "you and your team, in the director's office, three minutes." Before McGee could even respond, Ziva was up the stairs and walking into Tony's office.

Bishop locked eyes with McGee, "this can't be good. I've never seen her like this, it's scary."

"I have", McGee admitted. "When she was still a Mossad assassin and then again when her father was killed. Trust me, it can get much worse." He swallowed the lump in his throat, "we better get up there before it does."

* * *

.

* * *

"Ima yekara li, yekara.

Ima yekara li, yekara.

Ima yekara sheli.

Me'od ohevet hi oti.

Me'od me'od.

Me'od me'od.

Achayech elayich, achayec ..."

"Wow, what a beautiful voice. That song is Hebrew, right? I noticed that word 'Ima'. Are you missing your mother Miss DiNozzo?"

Tali lifted her head slowly to see the face of the unfamiliar accented voice. He was tall and dark skinned. Well groomed in his expensive suit. No decernable marks to identify him like with Lucifer but there was something eerily familiar about him.

 _I know those eyes._

It was the first time she'd ever seen someone else's face outside of Lucifer but she decided not to inquire about who he was. She just looked at him from her fixed spot chained to the pipe that once served as the place that Hunter was tortured.

He smiled at her; instantly making her stomach turn. He continued to speak, "It's okay if you do miss her. It's to be expected after so much time. I'm surprised that you still have enough life in you to even sing. I guess I will have to chan ..."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Lucifer charged into the room with his gun drawn. He quickly walked over to Tali, almost as if to protect her. His familiar rage causing Tali to flinch then stiffen at his close proximity but she calmed slightly after realizing she wasn't his target.

"I go wherever the hell I damn well please Benjamin! Now lower your weapon before you piss me off." The man wasn't backing down. He seemed to not even care about a gun being pointed in his face. Tali looked on curiously.

 _Benjamin?_

"You know", Lucifer tilted his head to the side, "I should fucking put one in your head right now! You're not supposed to be here! You fucked up the plan and you played me!"

He laughed, "You think I played you? No no Benjamin. I did not play you. You played yourself the moment you told the boy what you know and let him go!"

 _Lucifer let Hunter go? I hope he got to my parents._

"Do you really think I'd be the man I am today by showing all my moves at once? I didn't let you in on certain things because you didn't need to know them yet. You've been playing the role of boss for too long, it's gotten to your head. Because of you, NCIS now knows of my involvement. The boy told them everything and they are searching for me now too. I came here to decide whether or not I should relieve you of your duty."

 _Hunter must of told my parents something. They're still looking for me!_

A new hope swept through her but was completely dashed when she looked at Lucifer. Even with a gun in his hand, Tali noticed something in him that she'd never seen before ... fear.

 _He's scared of him. Who is this guy?_

Something about this new man frightened her more than Lucifer and his masked men ever did. If Lucifer was afraid of him then being absolutely terrified seemed like a reasonable emotion for Tali.

"I will not tell you again Benjamin, lower your gun. It's starting to annoy me."

Tali looked on in shock as Lucifer did what he was told and put his weapon away. She noticed his demeanor shift. It was off putting.

"You can't relieve me! You need me!" The once monster and destroyer of her innocence, Lucifer, sounded almost hurt and desperate to Tali.

"I need you?" The man raised his eyebrow. "I don't need you. I merely hired you so that I could handle my business with NCIS."

 _Business with NCIS? Wait, Hunter said his dad ... no he can't be ... or maybe ... those eyes._

 _"_ But, all things considered, you have done well. So I will allow you to remain the front man for now. Just remember, I made you Benjamin and, if you fuck up again, I will break you. Now leave us! I want to have a conversation with Miss Dinozzo alone."

 _Please don't leave ... wait what ... Tal, you're losing it when you don't want Lucifer to leave ..._

Tali looked on in despair as Lucifer reluctantly exited room. The unmistakable feeling of panic rising as the cadence of her heartbeat accelerated within. Her eyes widened as this new man closed the door and started removing his jacket while walking over to her. Her mind raced through all the possible things he could say or do. Sheer terror flashed across her face as he closed the distance between them and stroked her cheek.

 _Please God, not again._

* * *

.

* * *

McGee and Bishop entered Tony's office and closed the door quietly without a clue on what to expect as Ziva leaned against the desk, arms crossed. She looked different. _Almost like Bodnar revenge seeking Ziva._ McGee couldn't help but wonder what snapped to bring up the old Ziva entirely.

"I know you are probably wondering many things at the moment. Especially with that display of authority a few moments ago, yes?" Her accent was thicker than usual. Almost making her sound as if she was completely the old ruthless Israeli officer again and had not been a US Citizen or government agent for over 20 years.

Both agents noticed her tone but didn't bother to address it. They simply gave an apprehensive nod in wait for her to speak.

"I have spoken with SecNav as well as Director Troy from the FBI. After proving that I am stable enough to handle it, and after they argued with each other, they have decided that it makes sense for me to take over this investigation. When it all comes down to it, with Tony still unconscious, I am the best person to take over as lead on this case."

Bishop looked confused, "when it all comes down to it?"

"Yes", Ziva shook her head. "While Director Troy argues that I am too close to the case and that jurisdiction should be given to FBI, he couldn't help but to agree with SecNav at the mention of my history as both Mossad and NCIS. It is SecNav who pushed the topic, stating that I would be completely helpful in ending all of this much faster. Given that I am the daughter of the man who was in the position of calling the shots for Mossad back when Benjamin was becoming a major terror threat and I am now the wife of the Director of this agency whom Benjamin still has an increased interest in, SecNav argues that shutting things down should rest on my shoulders. And I completely agree with him."

She paused to gauge their reactions. When they didn't show any signs of having issues she continued, "being that you are the lead team within NCIS and personal friends, I called you in here to explain all of that and to make sure that it is okay with you."

"Do we have a choice if it isn't", Bishop asked with honest curiosity.

Ziva smirked, "no, I suppose, you do not. But, as I said, you are personal friends so I want to know."

"It's not a problem at all Ziva", McGee chimed in. "I'd rather follow your orders than FBI."

Bishop shook her head in agreement, "Yeah ditto."

"Good! Now onto my next reason for calling you in here", Ziva looked with interest between the two agents. "You are one man short, yes." She stated the obvious. "Where is Torres?"

"We have no idea. No one has heard from him since yesterday evening", Bishop answered.

"Hmph", Ziva chuckled. "You have no idea? I find it odd that he is unreachable when we have so much going on. Tali is still missing. The safehouse just got blown up with Tony and Officer Amadi inside. Benjamin and Johanson are still at large. And now we also have an almost definite confirmation that Amadi is still in the country when he shouldn't be. It's even more interesting considering the fact that Torres hasn't been the most willing to help since all of this started. Do you not find his being MIA at this most crucial time odd?"

 _She knows something._ McGee's wheels started turning and before long his mind was on track with Ziva's. His eyes widened as he looked at her, "You think Torres is involved ..."

"I think that it is very curious that my entire house was bugged and put on video surveillance without so much as one sign that someone broke in to do. I think that it is very curious that the secret location of a top US Government Officer and a badly injured South African Operative was found and then blown up. I think that it is curious that in the middle of a war, and negations for an allied peace signing between two nations, a 17 year old girl is being held as a prisoner without a known cause and very minimal trace."

Ziva stepped closer to them, her eyes glazed over with something that neither McGee or Bishop could place. Her voice shifted to a tone that almost she herself didn't recognize, "what I do KNOW, Agent McGee, is that no one outside of this room has the access or the intel for any of those things to happen except for the one person on your team who is now conveniently missing."

"How do you know Torres isn't a victim?" Bishop interrupted becoming increasingly defensive and confused as to why her partner was now being accused. "I mean, you've made a far leap without even first checking if he is okay. Shouldn't we investigate first before we jump to any conclusions?"

"Ellie has a point Ziva", McGee had to agree that it did seem far fetched. Although, internally, his gut was pushing him to side with Ziva. _Dammit I hope, for Torres' sake, she's wrong._

 _"_ You want to investigate, yes?" Ziva's voice was dripping with unusual sarcasm. "Fine, then YOU may investigate Agent Bishop. You are off the case concerning the terrorists until you find Torres. Check his apartment. Trace his cell. Track his credit cards. Call hospitals. Shit, check the morgue. Do whatever the hell you need to do!" Her sarcasm shifted to an almost threatening tone, "But when you find him, he is to be brought directly to me. No talk of this conversation is to be relayed to him. Is that understood?"

Bishop's only response was a nod as she exited the room, closing the door behind her. McGee watched Ziva as she returned back to leaning against the desk. _She's definitely different._ Against his better judgment, he spoke, "you've gone back to the old, almost completely emotionless, Ziva. It kind of ..."

"Makes you nervous." Ziva arrogantly finished for him.

"Well, yeah it does", he answered truthfully. "You've been an emotional wreck throughout this whole ordeal and now you're .. you're someone I never thought I'd ever see again. It's like some weird bipolar episode on a massive scale." He could tell that he pushed a button by commenting on her mental and emotional state but he needed to know who he was dealing with. "You're like badass Mossad assassin again. The Ziva that killed men first and asked questions later. Far from the genuinely emotional mother and wife you were this morning. What sparked this sudden change?"

She moved swiftly and stepped directly into his space. Her eyes, once again, glazed over with something he couldn't place. Her words came out with venom, "Seeing my daughter being forced to watch another teenager be tortured. Knowing that she was raped multiple times and truthfully might not even still be alive. Seeing my husband laying on that hospital bed. Replaying finding him under that debris barely lifeless over and over again in my head. That is what sparked this change Agent McGee. I cannot afford to be the woman that is an 'emotional wreck' as you say. Is that going to be a problem for you or can I hold off on finding another senior agent?"

McGee stepped back slightly. He felt as though she might just snap but still he had to confess, "I get it, Ziva, really I do. But this sudden shift scares me a lot. I didn't much like old Ziva, and thought you didn't either. Seeing you like this freaks me out. As your friend, I'm worried."

Ziva saw the genuine look in his eyes and, for a moment, felt herself return to the loving woman she'd grown to become. She decided to ease the tension slightly with truth, "Tim, I know you are worried. And I promise, after this is over, I will have a complete relapse. For now though, I have to be this way. It is the only way I can lead this investigation. It is the only way I can take these bastards down, find my daughter, and end this nightmare. Now, do you have my back?"

"You never have to ask Ziva", he said, feeling a little better after her admission. "I've always had your back and I always will."

* * *

.

* * *

He noticed Tali flinch at his contact and tilted his head, "There is no need for you to be scared. I have no intentions on physically harming you."

Despite his calm voice, Tali couldn't control her fear. She softly whimpered and turned her head away as he tried to stroke her cheek again. Her response making him take a step back. "Miss DiNozzo, do you know who I am?"

Tali remained quiet for a moment while studying his face. _Those eyes._ She squinted then shook her head 'yes'.

"It is okay to speak. As I told our unwanted guest before, I want to have a conversation with you. I'm only here to talk. So, who do you think I am?"

"Director Amadi", she whispered.

He smiled, "Yes, that is good. How did you know?"

"Hunter has your eyes."

"Yes, he does", he chuckled. "Unfortunately, that's about all he gets from me", he paused for a moment, "do you know why you are here? Why I had you both kidnapped?" Tali shook her head 'no'. "You have been brought here as a pawn in a delicate game of chess. Since, however, my son has been released and betrayed his own blood, you must now do both his job and your own."

"What job?" Tali's voice was still nothing more than a whisper.

A knock came at the door. "We will get to that very soon Miss DiNozzo. For now, we must entertain our wanted company." He walked to the door and opened it wide enough for Tali to see who was on the other side. The teen's eyes widened in shock and confusion as the man became completely visible. She couldn't bring herself to speak as Director Amadi announced, "I believe you know this man here Miss DiNozzo. Please great our friend, Agent Torres."


	19. Really Bad!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XIX - Really Bad!

* * *

NCIS headquarters was bustling as everyone worked feverishly to track down the agency's newest most wanted trio. No one questioned Ziva's new position of authority ... at least not verbally ... as she made her rounds through the building getting updates. The more seasoned agents knew better than to cross her when she was like this, and they did a lot of warning to the newer agents who did not know this side of her. Needless to say, they were all intimidated by her and it didn't go unnoticed by her 12 year old son who'd watched quietly from a distance as she chastised an agent seemingly wasting her time.

Not be able to take it anymore, Anthony followed behind Ziva as she turned to enter the elevator and slid in with her just as the doors almost closed. She looked at him curiously as he pushed the 'emergency stop' and turned to he, "Ima, what's going on with you?"

For some reason, Ziva didn't know how to respond. Up until now, she'd been on autopilot with her responses all day since leaving the hospital. Now it seemed, other than the encounter with McGee earlier, someone was forcibly pulling her back to normal. Go figure it would be the hidden sensitivity of her 12 year old. She tried hard to ignore his piercing eyes. "Nothing is going on III, I am fine."

Anthony jolted in confusion at hearing his nickname. "Something is DEFINITELY wrong! Ima, you NEVER call me III."

Ziva scoffed, "Yes I do!"

"Nooooooooooooooo you don't". He grabbed her hand and she absently pulled it from him. Hurt evident almost immediately in his eyes at her gesture. "Who are you?" He asked in a hushed tone, almost lower that a whisper— if that was even possible.

Ziva shook her head, "I am your mother. Your Ima!" She tried to pull him into her arms but this time it was him who pulled away. Backing up as if he was scared. She sighed, "Listen III ..."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT", he protested. The volume of his voice booming off the elevator walls causing both of them to cringe slightly. "I saw you with that agent", he paused to wipe a sudden tear. "I've never seen you so mean, not even that time when Tal crashed your new car. Or even that time when I threw my football in the dining room and broke all your favorite wine glasses. You were like totally going nuclear on that dude just now! Did you have to be so mean?"

"Those times were different. You and Tali are my kids, it is normal for me to go easier on you. That agent not doing his job correctly is not something I can go easy on at a time like this, understand?" She tried hard to fight the urge to soften up. The last thing she needed was Anthony causing her relapse into an emotional mess when she needed to be strong and unwavering. Still though, she spoke with a little less harshness to him then she had only moments ago to the agent. "Anthony, this is a hard time for all of us, especially now with Abba being hurt. I won't be this way forever, but Ima has to be hard and a little mean right now in order to take care of business and get Tali back, okay?"

He shook his head reluctantly, "okay Ima." He hugged her tentively, "but promise me that you're not going to mean to me at least."

She stifled a chuckled as she hugged him tighter, "I promise."

With that, Anthony let go and hit the button for the elevator to resume. He looked up at Ziva with a smile then chuckled, "I kind of miss school."

Ziva couldn't help but laugh, "that was random."

"I know, but I've been cooped up on the Navy Yard and I miss my friends. You think it's safe for me to go back now?"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "I don't think that is a good idea with terrorists on the loose", she spoke honestly as they exited the elevator and walked towards Abby's lab. "But I will think about."

"Can I at least go with you when you go back to the hospital to see Abba. I promise I won't freak out when I see him." His eyes were desperate.

"Anthony I don't ..."

"He can come with me", Gibbs spoke as he entered the hallway.

"Gibbs, I don't think that Anth ..."

"The boy wants to see his father. Hell, he needs to see his father", he interrupted. "I'm on my way back there now. Might be good for him to get out of this place anyway. All these agents running down leads and everyone working through evidence, he doesn't need to watch."

"He doesn't need to be outside of the Navy Yard either. Plus, Tony doesn't look the best", Ziva tried to reason.

"Please Ima", Anthony begged. "Grandpa won't let anything happen to me and I don't care about what Abba looks like, I just want to see him."

"He'll be fine Ziver." Gibbs added as he gave a rare reassuring smile.

"Okay", she agreed reluctantly. Placing a soft kiss on Anthony's head before she watched them enter to elevator then she headed into Abby's lab.

* * *

.

* * *

 _What the hell is going on?_

Tali watched silently as Torres and Director Amadi exchanged pleasantries. Both talking as if she wasn't in the room. She almost wished Lucifer came back. Almost. It seemed like a much better scenario then the one unfolding before her.

 _Yup, definitely going crazy now._

"So the safehouse is no more", Torres spoke. "But the son of bitch DiNozzo shot me in my arm before the place went up in flames. It was a quick through and though, no damage, just irritating. I know the second bomb took them both out though so the bullet to my arm was worth it."

 _Bomb? Oh God, ABBA!_

"Damn, you know his wife was about to shoot me in his office. They are very trigger happy people." Amadi chuckled then turned his attention to Tali again. "Miss DiNozzo, Agent Torres here has just informed me of very good news! It looks like my bastard of a son and your arrogant asshole of a father are both dead." The smile that came across his face was one of pure evil.

"No", Tali screamed through a rush of tears. "Nick, why?"

"For the greater good Tali. You have no idea how much better off we are without him. You're too young to understand. Just look at what being his daughter has caused you." Torres answered in a tone that made him unrecognizable to her. "I should get back to NCIS soon though", he said while turning back to Amadi. "I've been MIA for too long and they will get suspicious, if they haven't already."

Tali stayed quiet as the tears kept streaming down. Her disbelief at Torres' actions and words causing a source of pain like no other. Here he was, someone that her parents trusted with their lives and hers, laughing and beaming with pride that he'd killed her father. She couldn't bare to look at his face. Couldn't bare to think about her father being dead. Her emotions becoming too much to handle as she felt herself struggle to breath.

 _How could he betray us?_ _Abba, I'm so sorry. Abba ..._

"Very well Agent Torres, just make sure you keep playing the game correctly." Amadi spoke as he watched Tali slowly beginning to pass out. "The shock of it all must have done her in. No matter though, she won't be here much longer either. Just keep doing as I've instructed, and make sure the rest of your colleagues don't suspect you."

 _I hope Ima kills him._

"I've been playing it well so far, no need to worry. We will take them all out soon enough. I'll get the next target setup tonight and, by this time tomorrow, more fire will fall."

 _More fire? Another bomb ..._

Amadi smirked, "very good. Update me on the search they have going for me as well so I know how to move once you get back to that Navy Yard. Oh, and before I forget", he paused to reach in his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "You're payment as discussed for last night. My terms are the same, but will triple, if you can pull it off tomorrow."

 _What happens tomorrow?_

"Looking forward to it. I won't disappoint." Torres looked at Tali once more as she fought to stay alert, "she's going to need some strength for the move after tomorrow. Make sure your boy doesn't fuck her again or else she might just break. We still need her."

 _I won't break ... I can't break ... I need to see you die ..._

Amadi only nodded in agreement while Torres left and closed the door behind him. The smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth made him look more like the devil himself than Lucifer did as Tali's eyes peaked at him one more time before she completely passed out.

* * *

.

* * *

"You called Abby", Ziva spoke as she walked up behind Abby in the lab.

"Ziva!" She jumped at the sound of Ziva's oice due to not hearing her enter the room. "You scared me", Abby admitted as she looked at her and noticed the new but old demeanor. "Maybe I should stay scared. Are you okay? You look not yourself. Not like you look unlike you. Just that you look like angry Ziva and not happy Ziva. Although angry Ziva would be expected considering someone tried to blow up Tony and Tali is still missing. I guess happy Ziva wouldn't be practical right now anyway with three terrorists on the loose. Speaking of, McGee told me that SecNav put you in charge. That's like totally badass. You get to be like superhero ninja assassin Ziva aga ..."

"ABBY!" Ziva jolted the woman out of her ramble. "Did you or did you not call me?"

 _Yup, McGee was right, definitely old Ziva._ Abby shook her head then focused. "Yes, I called. I've been scouring the airport surveillance and found this." She clicked a few keys and pulled up a video of Director Amadi at the airport then switched to another shot where he is leaving off the tarmac in an unmarked vehicle. "I've put a bolo on the car, although it's going to be almost impossible to get something back without any plates. He's still in DC though, where? I don't know. But somewhere."

Ziva's blood was boiling. "Thank you Abby", she said through gritted teeth. "If you find anything else, I'll be at the hospital, just call."

"Okay, but Ziva are you o ..." Before she could even finished her question, Ziva was out of the lab and on the elevator. Abby stood for a moment absently looking at the door. Her friend was not her friend right now and she couldn't help but to worry about how much worse things could get.

 _This is bad, really bad!_

* * *

 **Sooo next chapter will be up later ..**

 **Torres returns. Things get really crazy.**

 **That's all I'll say ... drop those reviews!**

 **And thanks to everyone that's been reviewing and sticking with me!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	20. Long Night Ahead

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XX - Long Night Ahead

* * *

Nightfall had come and the squad room was getting empty with just a handful of agents left working for the day. Needless to say, day one of the all out search for Benjamin, Johanson, and Amadi was coming to an end with little new information. McGee was frustrated and tired, but he couldn't let his NCIS family down so he picked up his phone to call home.

 _"Hey honey!"_ Delilah answered after the second ring.

"Hey."

His tone didn't go unnoticed by his wife, _"You need to stay at work tonight, don't you?"_ She didn't sound angry, just worried.

"Yeah, it's all hands on deck after last night", he explained.

 _"How's Tony and Ziva?"_

"Tony's still unconscious and Ziva is ... well she's not in a good place right now."

 _"That's to be expected. This whole thing must be killing her. I couldn't imagine being in her shoes. But, knowing you're there for our friends makes me feel better. Did you eat today?"_

"No", he answered reluctantly.

 _"Timothy, before I agree to you spending another night away from our kids and our bed, you need to promise me you'll go eat. A thirty minute break will not kill you. It might even help with your energy so you can crack this case. Please!"_

McGee chuckled, "okay, I promise. Tell Johnny and Morgan that I love them."

 _"I will. I love you honey, please go eat and call me in the morning."_

"I love you too". He ended the call and leaned back in his chair for moment before standing to go do as he promised Delilah. Just as he stood up, the elevator doors opened and Torres entered. Before he could say a word, Bishop ran over to Torres and hugged him. McGee noticed the agent wince in pain but didn't address it .. not yet at least.

"Oh my God, I was so worried about you", Bishop went on, "Are you okay? You will not believe all the insanity around here. Where were you?"

"That's a question we'd all like to know the answer to", McGee interrupted. "But we have to wait for Ziva to come back from the hospital."

"Is she okay", Torres asked while trying to hide something that almost looked like he hoped something was actually wrong.

McGee noticed it but tried to brush it off. "She's fine", he answered in a nonchalantly. "Just went to check on a friend who got in an accident this afternoon", he lied.

Bishop looked at him confused but she didn't say anything. She caught on quickly to what her boss was doing. _He thinks Torres is involved too._ She looked between the two men, not knowing what to do as the tension thickened. Luckily, McGee broke the silence and gave her an assignment.

"Since Torres is back, Ellie you can go home and rest. Before you go to bed though, call the prison and set up a visit with Deeter Johanson for tomorrow. I want you to question him and see if he knows what his little brother has been up to."

"But what about ..."

"Ziva and I will debrief Torres. You don't need to be here for it", he interrupted knowing exactly what she was going to ask. "Now goodnight."

"Goodnight", she responded in defeat while grabbing her bag. "See you tomorrow Nick, glad you're okay", she added as she headed towards the elevator.

"Night!" Torres called out then locked eyes with McGee, "what did I miss?"

"A lot in the last seventeen hours", the senior agent didn't hide his annoyance as he pulled out his phone to text.

"Sir, I can explain everything ..."

"And you will, as soon as Ziva gets back." He paused for a moment then continued, "which should be in about thirty minutes says her text. She wants to meet in MTAC. You can go there now while I grab something to eat."

Torres looked at him with irritation then looked over to the 'most wanted' wall. "I see we have some new faces up there."

"Yeah", McGee met his gaze. "We will discuss that during our debrief with Ziva. I'll be back shortly. Don't disappear again."

Torres looked curiously at McGee as he left, then pulled out his phone when he was sure he'd gotten on the elevator. _Gotta call Amadi._ He walked behind the stairs and made the call.

 _"Agent Torres, good to hear from you. What's the update?"_

"Sir, Ziva DiNozzo is now in charge it seems. We're set to debrief in about 25 minutes. I'll have more information for you after that. For now, all I can tell you is that they've posted you in the 'most wanted' wall. It seems like all of NCIS is looking for you now so lay low."

 _"I see. Does anyone suspect anything?"_

"I don't think so. But my boss seems a little weird. I'll figure it out shortly. I'm not worried though."

 _"Good. Thank you for the update. I expect a call from you after you've debriefed and set up the next target."_

The call ended and Torres headed to MTAC to wait for his meeting with McGee and Ziva, all the while wondering what might come next.

* * *

.

* * *

On his way back from grabbing a quick bite to eat, McGee ran into Ziva in the parking garage. _Should I tell her I think she's right?_ He smiled awkwardly as they got on the elevator in silence. Ziva looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Challenging him to say something but he didn't. So they quietly got off the elevator and went to MTAC to meet with Torres.

Upon entering, Ziva cleared her throat and Torres stood. "Agent Torres, you may have a seat." He did as he was told as McGee watched on. "So, I'll just get right down to business, where have you been and why were you unreachable?"

Torres looked at them both then spoke, "Before I answer that, can I ask why I'm having this conversation with you and not the Director? It seems weird that he wouldn't be here for this."

"It seems weird that this is the first time you've asked about the Director since you returned", McGee chimed in. "Come to think about it, when I told you that we needed to have this meeting with Ziva, you never once seemed interested as to why she'd be here. Why is that?"

"Boss, it's been one hell of a day. I guess it just slipped my mind and I've had sometime to think now. So where's the Director?"

 _He's pushing too hard. "_ We will get to that after you explain yourself Agent." McGee's voice was stern and lacked any hint of going off the topic at hand. He wanted answers.

Torres sighed, "I had to deal with a personal matter. Last night things just got really real."

"What personal matter", Ziva asked. Becoming increasingly irritated at the way Torres kept skirting around what he was trying to say.

"I'd rather not say, that's why it's called a 'personal' matter", Torres responded sarcastically.

"Is your job a fucking game to you!?" Ziva closed the distance between them and hovered over him while he remained seated in the theaterlike chairs inside of MTAC. Both her hands pressing into his biceps. He tried to hide the pain in his face but McGee noticed it again and Ziva saw it too. _That's interesting._ She stepped back slightly and stared at him. "Answer the question."

"Okay fine! It's this girl, she called me out of the blue saying I got her pregnant." He lied as he continued to try to hide his pain, "I mean it's crazy right? But then I went to her house and started really chopping it up with her and realized that maybe I could be the baby's father. The whole timeline she gave me makes sense."

"So you're telling us you were MIA during a major investigation because one of your many female friends is pregnant?" McGee watched him closely.

"Well", Torres looked down then back up, "Yeah. I mean, I know it's not a good enough excuse but it's the truth. It all just threw me off and I rushed to her house so quickly that I left my phone at home. It must have died while I was out. But I stayed at the girl's house all night just trying to figure out future plans. I mean, this is my first kid! It's crazy!"

The room was silent for a moment. Both senior agents mulling over the flimsy story. It seemed like a Torres thing, but then again, it made no sense. Not with everything going on. His sudden need to look at everything except them made it even more unbelievable.

 _He's lying._ Ziva was the first to break the silence. "For some reason, Torres, I don't believe you. It's just too convenient. So either you give me the truth or I'll have to ask McGee to leave so he's not implicated in what I choose to do next."

"Are you threatening me", Torres asked in disbelief.

"If it sounded like a threat, then I do apologize." She got in close to him again, "because I don't make threats, only promises, and I damn sure keep those."

"Yeah, like how you promised to always protect Tali. Pretty good job with that by the way." The words slipped before he could stop himself. And Ziva's hands were around his throat before he or McGee could react.

"Do you really want to push me Torres", she said through gritted teeth while tightening her grip. "Because now really isn't the time."

"Ziva", McGee tried to pull her off. "ZIVA!" Still nothing worked. Her grip was too tight. "Zi, you're going to kill him!"

"No I won't." She loosened her grip. "Not until I know the truth."

Torres toppled over, out of the chair and onto the floor as he gasped for air. "You're ... fucking ... crazy", he choked out.

"Not crazy", she kicked him in his arm causing him to yell in agony. "Just really pissed off and now curious about that arm."

"McGee do something", Torres pleaded but McGee just sat in one of the chairs. "You can't be this fucked up! Ahh!" He yelled out again as Ziva kicked him. "Ugh! Okay okay, please just stop!"

Ziva smirked and knelt down. She tapped Torres' cheek roughly then gripped his arm again, popping the stitches under his sleeve. "What happened to your arm? I want the truth."

Torres spoke through panting deep breaths, "I ... got ... shot ... trying ... to ... follow ... a lead."

It was a partial lie but, this time, Ziva believed him. Letting go, she stood back up and looked down at his now bloody sleeve. "Why did you lie before?"

"Because", he paused to even out his breathing. "I knew I'd get in trouble if I told you I went by myself and damn near got killed."

"McGee, take him to the hospital and then get the information on this shooting. And debrief him on the safehouse and the condition of Tony and Hunter."

A flash of disappointment came across Torres' face. "No, I don't need a hospital. What happened to the Director?"

"Someone bombed the safehouse", McGee explained as he helped Torres off the floor.

"Wow".

"Wow? That's all you have to offer is, wow?" Ziva stepped closer causing Torres to flinch but she didn't attack. "I don't have much patience for you so you would benefit by saying more than just 'wow'."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say. Sorry for your loss."

Ziva and McGee both looked at him like he had seven heads. "My husband isn't dead Agent Torres."

"But you said someone bombed the ..."

"I said it was bombed, I didn't say that my husband died." Her nose flared.

"Oh". The disappointment flashed across his face again, but Ziva didn't address it.

 _It was him!_

The room fell quiet. An uncomfortable tension rose between them. After a few more minutes of silence, Ziva spoke again. "You're going to the hospital. As a matter of fact, I'm sending you with a protection detail instead. I need McGee here to work on some things with me."

"No apology for almost killing me", Torres asked smugly.

"Don't push your luck", McGee responded before Ziva could answer. He knew she was ready to explode again so he stepped between them. "Wait for me in the squad room. I'll setup the protection detail for you in a moment. Again, don't disappear."

Torres rolled his eyes and left. When the door to MTAC slammed shut, Ziva took a seat. "I don't trust him. He's hiding something", she spoke. "You said that Tony said he shot the guy who broke into the house right before the bomb?"

"Yeah, that's what he said when he called me about the intruder." He sat next to her, noticing the way her eyebrow raised in curiosity when he answered the question. "What's going on in that head Ziva?"

"Has Abby checked the bullets yet? The ones you found at the scene, there was one with blood on it, yes?"

"Yeah there was but no, she hasn't checked them yet. She's been swamped with the other evidence we brought her so ..." McGee stopped talking and shifted in his seat to look directly at Ziva when he clued into what she was really asking. "You think Tony shot Torres ..."

"Question or statement, Tim?"

"Both! You think it was Torres."

"I doubt if I'm wrong. And you doubt that I'm wrong as well which is why you didn't defend him." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in closer to McGee. Almost wishpering, she said, "He looked very disappointed when I said that Tony wasn't dead. Tomorrow morning, we run that blood as soon as Abby gets in. For tonight, I want that protection detail on Torres' ass. Until I have proof that he's not involved, I don't trust him."

"Ziva", McGee sighed, "maybe you're just overreacting."

"Do you really believe his story? That he actually went to chase down some lead that he can't even give us details on!?"

 _She's right._ He shook his head, "let's just keep a close eye on him. I'll get the protection detail to get the information on the lead. Okay?"

"Fine, go set it up before he disappears again. And make sure they take him to a different hospital. I'll be in Tony's office when you're done, then we can ride together to go see Tony."

McGee nodded in agreement and they left MTAC to prepare for the long night ahead.


	21. Hurricane Ziva

_**Disclaimers disclaimed.**_

 **Hunter's Fate ... Kinda.**

 **Ziva In Beast Mode ...**

 **Sidebar — I'm aware that this may be slightly out of character but, hey, it's FICTION!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter XXI - Hurricane Ziva

* * *

They had spend all night with Tony in his hospital room. They being Ziva and McGee. Some where around 9:30PM, Ziva had trusted Gibbs enough to take Anthony with him to his house and watch over him. The older man, who had become her father, had still kept his home in DC even after he'd retired and moved to Mexico. He kept it mostly as a place to stay when he visited for holidays but also for times like this when his family needed him around. She knew that Gibbs was right when he had told her that the preteen needed to be away from the Navy Yard and she was grateful, now more than ever, that he was around to carry some of the load that was resting on her shoulders. In the current moment, however, she was silently praying that Tony would wake up. She needed him to be okay. Her biggest fear being what Dr. Copeland had said about his probable temporary memory loss whenever he'd regain consciousness.

The hours seemed to blur together as she looked at her watch and realized it was now 4AM. McGee had fallen asleep in a nearby chair a little while ago with his laptop still open showing various images and notes from the crime scene at the safehouse. Ziva knew how exausted he must have been so she didn't wake him when she decided she needed to stretch her legs and go for some air. She slowly got up from her chair next to Tony's bed, gently closed McGee's laptop, and quietly kissed Tony's forehead before exiting the room. In the hallway, she let out an exasperated heavy sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Ziva turned slightly to see Dr. Copeland walking towards her with a warm smile alongside another doctor. "Good morning!"

"Good morning doctor", Ziva tried to return her smile as she responded and looked at the other doctor quizzically.

"This is Dr. Shaw, he is Officer Amadi's doctor", Dr. Copeland explained once she noticed Ziva's expression. "I was hoping to find you here. Have you been here all night?"

"Hello doctor", she greated and shook his hand as he nodded. Then she turned her attention back to Dr. Copeland, "Yes, I have been here all night. Myself and another agent."

Dr. Copeland nodded, "I assumed when I noticed there were no agents outside of Director DiNozzo's door. Any changes with our patient?"

"No, he's still out. Do you know when he might wake up?" Ziva asked, not hiding her concern.

"I can't really say. It's up to him really. We're only a day in, so it could be this evening or even a few days from now. All we can do is wait." She gave a reassuring smile to Ziva and went on to explain why she was looking for her, "Dr. Shaw wanted to give you an update on Officer Amadi and to ask you a few questions on how to proceed with his care. I just wanted to bring him to you so that you all could go talk privately in his office."

"Yes, that would be fine. Um, Agent McGee is in the room with my husband. He is sleeping. Can I just take a second to wake him before we go?"

"Not a problem", Dr. Shaw finally spoke.

Ziva smiled slightly then went to wake and inform McGee about what was going on. Shortly after, she returned to the hallway to find that Dr. Copeland had left, and Dr. Shaw was waiting on her.

"Shall we", he asked while gesturing his hand in the direction of his office.

"Sure", was Ziva's only response as she began walking with him.

When they arrived a few minutes later to Dr. Shaw's office, Ziva sat down on the small couch just inside while he took a seat in an adjacent chair. They were both silent for a moment until Dr. Shaw cleared his throat and begin his update, "Agent DiNozzo, we've done multiple scans and done a few surgeries over the last 24 hours. The initial surgery had been successful but we ran into some complications with him hemorrhaging so we've had to go back in a few times. As of this moment he's stable again. From the scans, it looks like there is no brain damage to Officer Amadi. However, there will be subsequent memory loss if he wakes up. He is in a deep coma which is why I need to know how to proceed with him being under my care? Usually, even with him being a legal adult at 19 years old, we would notify the parents. I understand he isn't an American and I have been informed by your agents that contacting his parents could result in him being unsafe. Can you elaborate further on that?"

Ziva sighed, "this is still an open investigation so I can't say much. What I can say is that he was placed under the protection of NCIS the night of the bombing. We believe it to be an attack by a few people closely connected to his parents, so we want to keep them out of it for now."

"Okay, I think I understand. My next question, are you aware of how he sustained the notable injuries prior to the bombing? If you can speak on how he got them, it may help explain why he slipped so deeply into this coma. He seems to be experiencing trauma in his comatose state."

"Doctor, I need to be sure that this will not leave this room", she paused for him to assure her that whatever she said next would in fact be kept confidential. He silently nodded, urging her to continue. "Hunter's prior injuries were sustained over eleven days of torture by terrorists. If he's showing signs of trauma, then it is most likely because of that. But if you are saying he will have memory loss, then I don't see how he could be reliving the trauma in his sleep."

"The mind is a tricky thing Agent DiNozzo. Officer Amadi could be reliving the trauma now but, when he wakes up, his natural defense mechanism could be for him to instantly forget when he is snapped back to reality. If he even wakes up at all. I'm still not sure if he will. He's very weak and after something as horrific as torture then the bombing on top of that, it has been a struggle to even keep him stable."

Ziva rubbed her temples as she felt another headache coming. "Are you saying he may not live?"

"Unfortunately, yes", Dr. Shaw spoke honestly. "These last 24 hours have been very taxing and critical. If I can't get him to show full stability within the next 24 hours, then it is probable that we may lose him. Keeping his vitals level has been a challenge. Right now, it seems the internal injuries are just too great."

She couldn't help but to feel sorry for the young man and helpless. Her mind quickly shifted to the fact that Tali may have already endured the same horrible possible fate. Not knowing if she was alive or dead was worse than anything else at the present moment. _Motek, ani mitgahahgahat eylayich._ Bringing herself back to focus, Ziva pushed down the feelings of vulnerability and shook her head.

"Agent DiNozzo, with there being a possibility of this young man not making it, when do you think it will be okay for me to inform his parents?"

"I will handle it. While he is still alive, he is still in protective custody. I need to work this case further before I can begin to involve them, it's for his safety." Ziva stood up from the coach and walked to the door. "For now, just do all you can to keep him alive."

* * *

.

* * *

A few hours later, after a new set of agents came to stand watch at the hospital, Ziva and McGee were back at NCIS headquarters. While McGee went over background history about the terrorist trio, Ziva set out to get some information from Abby.

When Ziva entered the lab, Abby was already hard at work going through more evidence and thinking out loud. She hadn't even noticed that Ziva had come in as she continued to talk to herself, "gotta find answers before Ziva gets here. She's like in total beast mode right now. Like she might actually kill someone. Shit, she might kill me. Ugh, I can't stand this new old Ziva. It's not good. Nope not good all. She's all scary and ninja-like. And who could blame her really? I'd probably be the same way if someone took my daughter and tried to blow up my husband. But then again, I mean, does she really have to be such a ..."

"Bitch?" Ziva finally announced her presence by finishing Abby's thought for her.

"Ziva!" Abby was clearly startled and a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to call you that", she tried to explain but Ziva interrupted again.

"Yeah, not to my face at least. It's okay, you are probably right. But I do not care though. I just want answers so, have you been able to run ballistics yet and the blood sample?"

 _Definite bitch._ Abby shook her head, "I've only been here for an hour Ziva, I haven't had a chance to yet. I was going over some other stuff first."

"I could have sworn I called you last night and told you to do it as soon as you came in this morning." Ziva's tone and body language screamed that she was pissed.

"You did but ..."

"But what Abby?" Ziva's voice elevated slightly. "That was supposed to be your FIRST priority! I gave you specific instructions and you blatantly disregarded them! I want what I asked you to do done now! No excuses!"

Abby sighed, "look, Ziva, I know you're under a lot of pressure but you don't have to ..."

"Just get it done Abby", she couldn't help but to interrupt again. "I don't want your excuses or your opinions of what you think you know about the pressure I'm under right now. Just run the damn bullets and get me some answers before I find someone else who can!"

Once again, before Abby could respond, Ziva stormed out and made her way to the elevator. Abby let out a frustrated sigh and reluctantly went to do as Ziva requested, all the while hoping that all this insanity would end soon. _I just want my bestie back._

* * *

.

* * *

Ziva got off the elevator and pulled her phone out of her pocket when she felt it vibrate. She looked at the number but it was programmed in her contacts. Thinking that it may be the hospital, she quickly answered while walking over to the bullpen.

"DiNozzo."

 _"Agent DiNozzo, we have a problem",_ the man on the other end said.

Ziva quickly registered who's voice it was and responded, "Agent Vincent, what's wrong?"

 _"Ma'am, we lost Agent Torres."_

"You what!?" She screamed into the phone, causing McGee to look up at her from his desk.

 _"Ma'am, we took him to the hospital as Agent McGee instructed then we took him home. We were supposed to leave to come to the Navy Yard at 0600 but when he didn't come out of the apartment, we entered and found that he was gone. We cannot find him, I'm sorry."_

"You're sorry!? Are fucking kidding me!? Get off my phone now and find him! Don't even think about coming back to this building without him!" Ziva ended the call and punched the file cabinet in front of her. The force from her fist immediately denting the front of the top drawer. The display causing a few agents nearby to stop and look but the rage in her eyes when she looked back at them quickly made then turn back to what they were doing.

McGee cautiously stepped over to her and grabbed her hand to inspect it but Ziva quickly pulled away. "Ziva, your knuckles are bleeding, you need to get that checked."

She glared at him, not caring about the state of her hand at the moment. "The protection detail that you assigned to Torres has lost him at his apartment. Can you tell me why you chose to use such incompetent men?"

 _Oh shit._ McGee could see that she was about to snap again. He stepped back before he responded, "Vincent and Martinez are excellent agents, you know that. I'm sure it was an honest mistake. Torres is crafty, they had no way of knowing he'd slip away."

"McGee, I'm losing my patience already today and it's not even 9AM. You better make sure they find him by noon or that's your ass."

"Ziva, you're being ..."

"What McGee!? I'm being what!?" She stepped in his face fuming. Her eyes daring him to finish his statement. McGee however just took a breath and shook his head. "That's what I thought."

With that she stormed off again, leaving McGee standing in the middle of the bullpen bewildered and slightly intimidated. _We need to end this nightmare soon so she can go back to normal._ After a few moments, Bishop entered and drew McGee from his thoughts.

"Good morning Boss", the younger agent was chipper after obviously getting a good night's rest. "You okay?"

McGee rubbed his forehead absently and turned to look at her, "Yeah. What are you doing here? Aren't you going to see Deeter Johanson?"

"Yes, but not until this afternoon so I thought I'd come in and go over some files. What's going on?"

"Nothing", McGee sighed, "Just had a run in with Hurricane Ziva. Apparently, Torres got away from his protection detail and she's pretty pissed."

"Protection detail?" Bishop didn't hide her confusion. "What happened last night?"

"Well, when we debriefed Torres, he showed signs that Ziva might have been right about what she said to us in Tony's office. And because of it, Ziva popped his stitches while trying to get him to be honest. She wanted a protection detail to watch over him, and they were, but apparently he snuck away."

"Wait, what do you mean he showed signs and why does he have stiches?" Bishop still wasn't following.

"Right, I skipped a detail. So, he initially lied about why he was MIA. Then he switched the story up when Ziva presses him and confessed that he had gotten shot in the arm. According to him, it happened while trying to chase down some lead by himself. But ..."

"But Ziva thinks he's lying", Bishop finally caught on. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, I think he's lying too. But I'm still not completely sold that he's involved in all of this. Not without solid evidence. We'll know more later. For now, I'm just trying to stay on her good side. Last night was totally insane."

"How so?"

"Let's just say Ziva almost killed Torres with her barehands."

"Jesus Christ, glad I wasn't here for that. She seems to be getting out of control really fast. You think SecNav was right in putting her in charge?"

"You're right, she is getting out of control, but I know it's just the stress of it all. At the end of the day, I know she can get results and she'll stop at nothing to get them. So, yeah, I do think SecNav was right. We just have to be patient with her and do our jobs."

"I guess you have a point." She looked over at the file cabinet and gave a puzzled look again, "what happened to the file cabinet?"

McGee chuckled and shook his head, "Hurricane Ziva".

* * *

 **Okkaayyy sooo, next chapter will have a lot of answers and more revelation.**

 **PLUS— we get closer to finding Tali or do we actually find her? ... *Insert Shrug Emoji Here* LOL!**

 **As usual, thanks for reading and please review!**

 **I'll be back later with the next chapter!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	22. Pain

_**Disclaimers disclaimed.**_

Chapter XXII - Pain

* * *

 _No way. This has to be wrong ... like really REALLY wrong._ Abby clicked the screen again, going through her findings. "Oh man, this is not good. Definitely not good."

"What's not good?" Ziva asked as she and McGee entered the Forensics Lab.

Abby jumped and quickly closed the window she had up on her computer. "Nothing." Her reaction causing both agents to look at her quizzically for a second. "Seriously Ziva, you HAVE to stop doing that ninja sneaking up on me thing. You're going to give me a heartache."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "What were you just looking at?"

"Um, it's nothing, really." Abby tried to lie but was failing at it miserably. "Just doing some online shopping."

"We have three wanted terrorists we're searching for and you're online shopping?" Ziva moved closer while Abby nodded her head and tried to avoid eye contact. "I'm pretty sure, after our little encounter this morning, that you weren't doing some online shopping. So I'll ask you again, and this time I expect an honest answer. What were you just looking at Abby?"

Abby swallowed the knot in her throat. Apprehensively looking between McGee and Ziva, her eyes locked on McGee for a moment to save her from Ziva's impending wrath.

"Abs", McGee tried to speak a little less harshly than Ziva, "Please, if you found something, we need to know."

Sighing and turning back to her computer, Abby spoke reluctantly, "I ran the ballistics on the bullets and I ran the bloods sample. The casings retrieved from the safehouse are in fact from Tony's sig. Also, the blood found on one of the bullets is ...". She paused, not wanting to speak anymore. Her eyes pleaded with Ziva this time, asking her silently to not make her say it.

Ziva, however, wasn't fazed by the puppy dog eyes. "Abby, who's blood is it?"

Instead of speaking, Abby just pulled the blood match up on the larger monitor with the photo of the person.

"I knew it", Ziva whispered through gritted teeth.

"Son of bitch! Zi, you were right", McGee had all he needed to finally believe Ziva one hundred percent.

Abby looked in shock at his outburst and it was even more surprised at his declaration. "Wait, you guys knew it was Nick?"

"Ziva knew", McGee corrected. "I only thought of the possibility when she said it before."

"But why? He's ... he's one of us ... he's family!" Abby genuinely didn't understand how someone they had grown to trust so much, a member of the team, someone who'd become a member of their surrogate family would be the one who seemed to be at the scene to blowup the safehouse. She couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes as she looked to Ziva for answers.

"No Abby", Ziva shook her head. "He is not one of us. Loyal men do not turn on their family. He is no better than the man that now employs him. Clearly, his price is above what he considers us to be valued."

"It can't be, I must have done something wrong." Abby started to pace.

"Abs, the forensics doesn't lie. You did everything right. Now we have to deal with it." McGee tried to comfort her but she just pulled away.

"No Tim! No! This isn't right! It doesn't make sense!"

Ziva looked at her watch and rolled her eyes then turned to McGee. "The only thing that doesn't make sense is that it's 11:15 and your agents still haven't brought in Torres yet. I told you, McGee, I want him here by noon. So you have 45 minutes to get him here and put him in interrogation. I'd advise that you go now."

Abby's eyes widened, "Interrogation! But how do we know he did anything wrong? Can't you just have a chat in the conference room?" Her chest was heaving in panic.

"Abby, please, you have to calm down", again McGee tried to soothe her. This time, she allowed him to hug her and rub her back. It slowly started to work as the room fell silent for a moment.

It wasn't long, though, before Ziva was clearing her throat and spoke directly to McGee again, "You now have 43 minutes Agent McGee."

He huffed in frustration and pulled away from Abby, "sorry Abs, gotta go. I promise everything will be okay." He then left without saying another word or looking at Ziva.

Abby, however, still had some things to say. "You don't have to act like you have no feelings Ziva. For the last 24 hours you've been so sour to everyone and that's not fair." She paused as the tears finally escaped and rolled down her cheeks. While letting out a sigh she continued, "I know all of this is bad, especially now with finding Nick's blood on one of Tony's bullets, but we don't know his side of the story. How do you know he wasn't forced into it?"

"Because I know. Plain and simple. Torres has had ample opportunity to be honest with me but instead he lied and then he ran off. This evidence is now my closest link to getting my daughter back."

"But Ziva ..."

"No Abby! You need to get it into your head that sometimes people aren't what they seem. Even those we choose to call family."

"Tell me about it", Abby said under her breath thinking Ziva wouldn't hear ... she did.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing Ziva", she let out another sigh.

"No please, by all means Abby, state your peace", Ziva pressed, "say whatever it is you REALLY want to say."

"Fine. All I'm saying is, you don't have to be such a bitch."

Ziva chuckled, "now you have the guts to say it to my face. Good for you!" She walked to the door but stopped just as she reached the threshold, "by the way, I'll be whatever I need to be to get to the truth and get my child back. Gibbs taught us both a long time ago that 'you do what you have to do for family'. So if I must, that includes being a bitch."

She walked out without letting Abby have another word. What else could really be said after that anyway? Tensions were high for sure. There was no use arguing when the world as they knew it seemed to continue to fall apart.

* * *

.

* * *

McGee was just about to blindly walk onto the elevator to go look for Torres when he bumped right into him.

"Whoa Boss", Torres laughed, "where's the fire?"

Without thinking, McGee bunched him in the face, completely knocking him out cold. He rolled him over and cuffed him then looked at his watch. _37 minutes to spare._ As he stood, he called over to agents to help him lift Torres off the ground. Then he removed Torres' badge and gun from his hip.

"Put him in Interrogation One and make sure the cuffs stay on him", he ordered to agents. They didn't ask any questions as to why their colleague was put in cuffs. Everyone knew that things had been really strange around NCIS lately. It was just better not to ask questions, rather than have Ziva or McGee go off.

As they carried Torres away, Ziva walked up behind McGee and smirked. "Nice work."

He turned to look at her and glared, "doesn't feel nice when one of my team is a traitor." Shaking his head, he got on the elevator. Before the doors closed he spoke again, "he'll be out for a little while, I'm going to go get some air."

When the doors closed, Ziva sighed then made her way to the Observation Room. She wanted to watch Torres while she planned out her interrogation method. Knowing that the next few hours would be crucial to finally blowing the case wide open.

* * *

.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Gibbs returned to Tony's room with his third cup of coffee of the day. He leaned against the doorpost smiling as he watched Anthony as he spoke to his sleeping father.

"So, Abba, I really think we should go. Like after you wake up and we get Tal back, we should do Paris again. We all need a good vacay! I mean, I've already been out of school for two weeks. Why not take off another couple weeks?" The 12 year old paused to laugh. "I actually kind of miss school though. Can you believe that?" He sighed as he took Tony's hand, "Abba, you really need to come back soon. Ima is like totally going nuclear on everybody at the Navy Yard. I'm not sure if it's good or bad but I know you're like the only person who can activate her chill button. I just want everything to go back to normal."

"Paris sounds like a good idea", Gibbs chuckled as he finally walked all the way into the room. "And don't worry about your mom, she'll go back to normal soon. Everything will be right again, I promise."

Anthony looked up and smiled briefly then his demeanor changed, "Grandpa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure bud, what is it?" Gibbs sat down next to him, waiting for him to ask his question.

Taking a moment, Anthony chose his words carefully then spoke, "well, I know Tal is like super tough for a girl. But she's not like super ninja mom tough ... so I guess ... what I'm asking is ... do you think that Tal is fighting back?"

"Fighting against the terrorists?" Gibbs wanted clarification.

"Yeah. Like I know they're probably really scary dudes, but do you think that Tal is holding her own?"

Gibbs nodded, "I believe she is bud. You're parents have done well in raising the both of you."

"But they haven't taught us all the skills they know. I remember once when Ima and Abba were arguing about something about when she was captured before we were born. You, Abba, and Uncle Tim saved her and she said that she didn't want to talk about it. They never actually talk much about the past but I wish they would. Maybe then, Tal and me could learn some stuff to fight. I mean, maybe they could of prepared us for stuff like this and Tal could have a better chance."

"What happened to your mother before we rescued her, not even I know all the details bud. But what I do know is that not even she was totally prepared for that. You can't prepare for these things", Gibbs tried his best to explain. "All you can do is try to keep your spirit alive and fight until the bitter end. There's no preparation for it. However, I know your parents did try to prepare Tali for it when you guys were younger. You just probably don't remember because you were smaller. I believe, though, that she's fine. She may be hurt, but I know she's a fighter. Just like you are. Just like your parents are."

"I just hope we find her soon." He paused for second to think about whether or not to ask his next question. He decided to ask, "Is it bad that I want to kill those guys?"

Gibbs sighed and put his free hand on Anthony's shoulder. "It's not bad. What you feel is natural, hell I want to kill the bastards too ..."

"But ..." Anthony felt it coming.

"But, let's leave the killing to the agents at NCIS. You're too young to focus on that. Put your mind somewhere else."

"One day I'm going to take out terrorist just like you used to and how ima and abba do now. Those guys are real jerks. I think I want to be a marine when I get older, just like you Grandpa."

Gibbs couldn't help but smile", I do believe you'd serve our country well bud. You've six years before you can join up though, so for now just focus on what's most important."

"What's most important?"

"Family bud, it has always been, and will always be, the most important thing."

Anthony nodded and smiled, "Semper Fi Grandpa!"

"Semper Fi bud!" Gibbs returned his smile and brought him in for a hug.

* * *

.

* * *

An few hours had now passed by and McGee stood in the Observation Room with Ziva, watching as Torres yelled profane words towards the double mirrored glass. Both looked on with fire in their eyes as their blood boiled knowing he had betrayed them. McGee certainly wanted to know why but Ziva didn't care. There was only one thing on her mind ... _where is my Tali?_

She took a deep breath then looked at McGee, silently telling him that it was time. He nodded approvingly to her as she walked out of Observation and prepared to step into Interrogation. They had already agreed that she'd have first dibs on trying to break him. Both hoping that it would only take Torres seeing Ziva's enraged eyes for him to tell the truth. If it only it was really that easy though.

Ziva entered Interrogation quietly with a folder in one hand and her phone in the other. Torres shut up quickly when he saw her come in. Taking a seat across the table from him, she didn't look up from her phone. She only listened as Torres huffed and tried shifting in his chair. Her demeanor was rather calm, considering the fact that her blood was actually boiling inside. She felt like she was literally on fine, but she didn't show it ... not yet at least.

After five minutes of silence, Torres finally spoke in irritation, "Why the hell am I here? And why the fuck do I have these cuffs on?"

Ziva chuckled but didn't look up from her phone, "you know why you are here Mr. Torres."

"That's Special Agent Torres", he corrected arrogantly.

Still not looking up, she corrected his correction, "there is nothing SPECIAL about you and, as of an hour ago, you are no longer an agent."

"What? You can't fucking bench me", he yelled and managed to stand up from the chair. "You don't have that authority! I swear to God, you are so lucky I'm in these cuffs or else ..."

"Please sit down Mr. Torres", Ziva interrupted politely, not even moved by his outburst. "And I'd refrain from making threats, you're not really in the best position to carry them out right now."

"Fuck you bitch!" Torres remained defiant and stayed standing.

This time, Ziva looked up at him as she slid her phone back in her pocket. She raised her eyebrow and chuckled, "You know, that seems to be my new name around here. I don't think I've been that bad. Hmph." She shrugged and leaned back in the chair, "You really should take your seat Mr. Torres, we have much to discuss and I want you to be a comfortable as possible." Torres opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off, reading his mind, to add, "as comfortable as possible without removing those cuffs."

Torres rolled his eyes and sat down quietly. His glare at her would put fear in the most seasoned of agents, but Ziva still remained unfazed.

"Now, let's get down to business", she opened the folder in front of her and placed Abby's ballistics findings on the table. "Do you know what this is Mr. Torres?"

Rolling his eyes again, Torres glanced at the paper. "Yeah, it's a ballistics report, so?"

"So, can you explain why Director DiNozzo's sig was trained on you and then shot you on the night ... well technically morning ... of the the bombing? This documents proves that you were the intruder in which the Director was chasing our of the house. Which would also mean that you are the one who set the bombs. Explain."

Torres just looked at her and stayed silent. Aside from the report, there was no other proof of his involvement so he tried to play it cool.

It was silent for a moment until Ziva spoke again, "look, we know that you are involved in this. You have no way of getting out of this so just tell the truth. You've lied enough and made yourself look guilty enough. All I really want to know is, where my is daughter? You give me that information and maybe I can work out a deal for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about", he finally spoke. "I'm not involved in anything. I don't know how that report linked back to me but I'm not your guy."

Ziva sighed, "are we really going to play this game?" She shook her head and leaned forward as her tone shifted to a low whisper, "because I am really not in the mood for games."

Something in the shift of her tone made Torres anxious, but he tried to hide it. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to keep eye contact, "I'm not playing any games. I don't know what you're talking about and I don't know where the girl is."

He instantly regretted repeating his statement as what Ziva did next quickly put him in a very painful predicament. Without warning, she had gotten up from her chair and moved swiftly around the table to get right in his face. Her hand wrapped in a vice grip around his genitalia under the table.

"Do you have any idea what your friend has done to my daughter Mr. Torres", her voice was freakishly calm and low despite the fire the raged in her eyes. He whimpered in pain as she tightened her grip. "I will snap your little manhood here off if you do not start telling me the truth."

His eyes widened and he partly believed her threat. "Okay", he choked out. "I'll talk." Ziva let go and he immediately keeled over in pain as he tried to forced back tears.

Not taking any chances on him playing his 'I don't know' game again, she decided not to move too far away from him. Instead, she stood behind him and hovered over him like a lioness ready to devour her prey. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "talk."

Torres couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine in fear. Against his better judgement, though, he still tried hard to not implicate himself. "I was forced to go to the safehouse and blow it up", he partially lied. "I swear, I didn't have a choice, they were going to kill me!" He tried to play the terrified victim and even managed to shed a tear, but something in his voice gave him away.

Sensing it was a lie, Ziva moved from behind him and slammed her hands on the table, causing him to jump slightly. She then grabbed his face roughly and peered deeply into his eye. "I don't believe you Mr. Torres, so I will ask you again ... Where. The. Fuck. Is. My. Daughter?" She put emphasis on each word.

He tried to squirm away but she used her other hand to then grip his groin again. He sat still and winced in severe pain. "Please", he choked out. "Stop."

His pleas only made Ziva grip tighter. "Tell me where my daughter is or I will crush any dreams you have of future children", she demanded through gritted teeth.

"Old warehouse", he panted out through the pain. "An hour outside ... outside of DC ..."

Ziva let go again and stood up straight, "show me."

There was nothing else that Torres could say to her. Shamefully, he just nodded his head and tried to hold back the tears fighting to come from the immense pain.


	23. Second Location

_**Disclaimers disclaimed.**_

Chapter XXIII - Second Location

* * *

Tali laid on the dirty floor, staring at the ceiling. It was the first time in a long time that she had woken up in the dungeon like cell without being restricted by rope or chains. Still she didn't move about the room. _What's the point?_ She hated how she felt so helpless one second then so determined the next.

"Hunter was right", she absently spoke out loud to herself. Her mind drifting to what her once captured roommate had told her about being mentally broken. Her wide range of emotions proving that she had become unstable in so many ways.

She let out an exasperated sigh and turned her head to see the all too familiar piece of bread and cup of water sitting on a tray on the other side of the room. It must had been days since she'd eaten but she wasn't hungry.

At the moment, she just wanted to die. A harsh and cruel death, if anyone had asked her, so the pain as her life slipped away would cover the current pain she felt in her heart at the thought of her father being killed ... and, to be honest, the pain she felt for Hunter too.

"I'm so sorry Abba", she spoke absently again as her eyes filled with tears. But she quickly forced the tears back, feeling as though there was no point of crying anymore. _It's not like he'll magically come back if I cry. It's not like I'll be rescued either._

She sighed again and shook her head while finally sitting up to lean her side against the wall for some bizarre feeling of comfort as she felt a tinge of pain in her back. Reaching her hand back to the small of her back, she felt the welts and cuts that Lucifer's latest form of torture had delt her. She could only imagine what the top half of her back looked like ... _probably worse than Jesus' 39 lashes._

"That's probably going to get infected" she though aloud. "Well, I guess death by infection could be harsh and cruel", she rub her face with her hands.

 _Am I really sitting here hoping for death ... really Tal ... Ima and III are still out there._

"But with Abba gone, are they even looking for me?" There it was, the hopelessness washing over her without any sign of letting up. The deafening silence causing her to slowly drift back into a nightmare full of chaos, pain, and death.

* * *

.

* * *

Ziva sped down the highway with McGee and Bishop following behind her. Behind them was a myriad of FBI and Homeland vehicles and a few NCIS armored trucks that held the extraction and tactical teams.

Once Torres had given them the exact location to the warehouse, Ziva had sent him to lockup. McGee had convinced her to do so instead of her killing him on camera inside the interrogation room. Not before it took everything in his power, and two other agents as well, to get her to release him from the death grip she had placed him in after he made a sly comment about Tali when she was exiting the room.

An hour after that, they had checked the validity of the warehouse location and geared up to go rescue Tali. Now, 40 minutes later, they were just a mile away from where Torres had told them the location was.

A few minutes later, they all pulled up and exited their vehicles. The lead agent of the extraction unit ran over to Ziva to get insight on how to proceed, "ma'am, unlike the other location, there's no other buildings around. Do you want my snipers on the top of the trucks or would you like them to set up on the roof of the building? The better vantage point in this scenario would be for them to setup on the truck, but it's your call."

Ziva trusted his judgment, "let them setup on the trucks Agent Holmes. Then have the rest of your teams split up into four groups. The blueprints of the warehouse show four entry points, I want them all covered. Let the agents from FBI and Homeland know as well."

"Yes ma'am", he nodded as he ran back over to his team to set up everything and relay the message to the backup agents.

McGee and Bishop then walked over to Ziva. Bishop, with a thermal scanner in her hand, looked at her with a worried face.

"Something wrong Agent Bishop", Ziva asked, noticing the look on the younger agent's face.

"I can't get a read on the building at all. We're basiccaly going in blind", she responded in a defeated tone.

"They probably have the entire warehouse jammed then", McGee chimed in. "I'm not surprised since the other one was partly jammed. There's more at stake within this location."

"Uhn huh", Ziva responded absently as she looked off into the distance. _What was that?_

McGee looked at her as he noticed she was spacing out. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Ziva, what is it?"

"There's something back in that tree line", she pointed in the direction she was looking.

"Those woods go on for miles", Bishop responded. "Maybe it was just a deer peaking out for a moment, you know, hearing us out here might of drawn it out."

Ziva shook off the odd feeling and looked at them, "you're probably right. We need to get in that warehouse now, no more delaying."

Both McGee and Bishop nodded as they watched her signal everyone else to get in position. In just a few short moments, they had the building surrounded. After getting confirmation that all teams were ready and in place, she counted down from 3 to 1 and they stormed the building.

* * *

.

* * *

Tali woke up to a loud thunderous noise coming from outside the room. She blinked hard as she tried to focus, but felt etremely dizzy. The all too familiar burning sensation coursed through her arm and she knew exactly why.

 _They drugged me again. Lucifer must be on his way._

She shook her head widly, trying to knock out the haze that clouded her mind. Apart from feeling anxious about her captor returning, the noises going on outside made her all the more afraid.

Before she could register her emotions though, the door swung open and a cloud a smoke filled the room. There was no time to react as two men securely lifted her from the floor and wrapped her in a sheet that covered her entire body and face.

* * *

.

* * *

Each team swept through the warehouse but kept coming up with nothing. _What the hell, where are you Tali?_ Ziva had just cleared another hidden space and walked out to the main corridor when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She ignored it, however, as she heard Bishop's voice come through on her earwig.

"We found the jammers, McGee is disabling them now. We should get a better read on thermals when he's done."

"Good", Ziva called back over her mic. "There has to be something like the other building that's underground. She has to be here."

"Agent DiNozzo", Agent Holmes called over his mic. "We found another entry point that wasn't on the blueprint."

"Where is your location Holmes?"

"We're on the south side of the building, an old emergency stairwell that looks to lead to a basement accessed through the last room on the left", he informed.

"Okay, hold your position. I'm on my way to you now." Ziva turned and started heading in that direction. Just as she got to the door of the room as discribed, she felt her phone again. She let out an annoyed sigh and pulled her phone from her pocket. "What Abby", she asked harshly.

 _"Ziva it's a trap!"_ Abby yelled into the phone in a panic. _"I finally ran the tracking and messages from the two burn phones we found in Torres' bag, the location he sent you to is where Johanson was making the bombs NOT where Tali is!"_

"What", Ziva looked up at Agent Holmes who had come to meet her at the door. "Abby we haven't found anything looking like any bombs were made here. The place is pretty much empty except for one area we haven't checked."

 _"You guys have to get out of there NOW Ziva! There's a hidden stairway that leads to an explosives room in a cellar, I don't know what kind of shit is down there, but Torres' messages clearly say that that location is a dummy location, just in case! Zi, please, get out of there!"_

Ziva's face turned as she heard a commotion in her other ear through the earwig. It was McGee panting as if he was running, "Everyone get out of the south side ... jammers disabled ... detection scans show explosives ... get out now ... Agent Holmes, get your men ..."

Silence fell over everyone as the blast sent a shockwave through the building. Ziva and Agent Holmes were blown back through the hallway wall and landed hard on the floor on the other side as a single bomb blast went off in the hidden basement below them.

* * *

Abby had heard the blast then the immediate silence through the phone before the call disconnected. She screamed then let out her frustrated pain by pushing one of her computers onto the floor. The screen of the monitor instantly shattering, almost poetically showing how her heart felt the moment she heard the explosion.

Her knees weakened and she buckled down to the floor as the weight of guilt washed over her. Thoughts of why she hadn't figured out how to access the information on the burn phones sooner plagued her mind ... that and how she almost definitely felt like Ziva was dead and it was her fault.

* * *

.

* * *

Tali was thrown into a pool of water while still wrapped in the sheet. The feeling of the ice cold liquid causing her to gasp through the sheet and take in some of the water, choking in desperation.

She then felt a sharp pain as she was chained by her wrists and yanked out of the water. The sheet being unraveled off of her, making her to roll across the floor. She tried to gain her bearings and control her breathing again as she looked up to see Lucifer and Amadi hovering over her.

There was no point in trying to mask her fear and confusion while the room was still spinning around her. It seemed as if a dark cloud was looming over head. They were talking and pointing but everything was slurred and blurred together.

Then, there seemed to be a flash of light, brighter than the summer sun. Tali found a moment to smile while hostility began to reign down on her. That is until the world quickly shifted after a blow to the back of her head and everything went dark again.

* * *

.

* * *

The muffled sounds of emergency responders, quick flashes of reckage and carnage, blood stained walls and lifeless bodies all surrounded Ziva as her eyes fluttered open.

 _Tony._

Everything was chaotic and nothing stood still. Her head was pounding and her heart raced. The muted tones around her caused her to be able to hear the thumping of the cadence in her chest.

 _Tali._

Nothing else in the world mattered to her as she tried to stand up and balance herself. The pain was bearable, the cuts and scrapes on her arms and face didn't deter her from the mission.

 _Anthony._

No more games. No more false hope. No more traps. No more curveballs. No more lies. No more waiting. She was done with it all. It was time to end it. The nightmare had become too much. Once and for all she needed her peace back.

 _I'm getting my family back by the end of today._

Determined, she looked around for her cell under the rubble. It didn't even register to her brain that she'd been in an explosion. Had she been ten more feet inside the room, she would probably be dead. Her thoughts weren't there though. Torres had played them again and now she was beyond furious. Adrenaline pumped through her veins causing her to almost feel nothing. She started thinking about how she was going to torture him for setting her up to almost kill her but was immediately distracted by McGee.

"Ziva, are you okay? We need to get you check out now", he tried to move her but her feet were planted firmly on the ground.

She looked at him, "give me your phone?"

"What? Ziva, I need to get you to a hospi ..."

"GIVE ME YOUR PHONE", she demanded while holding out her hand. McGee looked at her like she was crazy, but reluctantly gave her his phone. She dialed Abby's number quickly. _Come on pick up. Pick up!_

 _"NCIS Forensics, this is Ab ..."_

"Abby", Ziva yelled into the phone, "send the other location you found on Torres' phone to me now!"

 _"Ziva! Oh my God, I thought you died! Are you okay?"_ Her voice was laced with concern and also relief that her friend hadn't seemed to be affected by the bomb blast. " _I was so worried about you! Is everyone okay? How bad is it over there?"_

"Abby, please, I don't have time. I need to go! Just send the location to McGee's cell.", Ziva insisted then hung up before Abby could ask any more questions as she was quickly losing patience. Part of her appreciated her friend's concern, but now was not the time to address it. Her mind was focused on one thing and one thing alone.

A text message popped up on the phone with the second location. McGee looked over Ziva's shoulder and read it. "That's like 15 miles from here", he commented.

"Good, not far at all, let's go." Ziva walked off swiftly with purpose in her step.

McGee stood for a moment dumbfounded, then he ran after her. "Go? Ziva we CAN'T go! You were just in an explosion. You need to go to the hospital."

"I will go to the hospital AFTER my daughter is back by my side", she yelled back not once breaking her stride. "Bishop can manage this scene while we go get Tali."

He grabbed her arm and brought her to an abrupt stop. "Zi, this is crazy. We can send one of the teams there while you get checked out."

Ziva looked down at his hand gripping her arm then looked back up with a glare. "Either you let me go and get in the car to come help me save Tali or I drop you on your ass and you stay here, your choice McGee." Knowing how real her threat was, he let go instantly. "Good, now let's go!"

Again she started walking with purpose through the unaffected parts of the building then outside to her car. She popped her trunk then tossed the keys to McGee to signal that he was driving. Going to the trunk with McGee following behind, she pulled up a hidden compartment and called over five other agents— one from FBI, one from Homeland, and three from the extraction team.

Pulling out serveral different weapons, she handed them out to each as well as new radios and earwigs. "We are going to the another location. I don't want to risk taking a large team again. We go in two cars, that's it. The plan is simple: we go in, take down these bastards, and get my daughter. There are only three rules to this mission: 1. No one on this team is allowed to die. 2. Don't kill our terrist trio, you are to only take non fatal shots on them, if you must, and then cuff them. Finally, 3. No one touches my daughter except me. Any questions?"

The agent from Homeland spoke up, "Yes, just one." Ziva nodded for him to proceed with his question. "Why can't we kill the three main suspects?"

"Because ... they are mine."

All six men swallowed hard as they watched Ziva load her back up weapon, check her vest, then walk to the front passenger side door of her car. She was purely intimidating and they all made a mental note not to break any of her rules, lest her wrath come down on them with fire. Yes, even rule number one. They couldn't help but think that she'd some how be able to bring them back to life just to make them die a slow miserable death for disobeying a direct order.

Ziva looked back as she opened the car door, "I've already given you boys an invitation, so let's go!" With that, they all snapped out of their thoughts and piled into two different cars. Ready for the next wave of battle, McGee led the way to the second location.

* * *

 **So is it another setup or will we find Tali?**

 **You'll see in the next chapter ... PLUS:**

 **Someone wakes up ... Tony or Hunter?**

 **Someone dies ... Torres or one member of the terrorist trio?**

 **Maybe there's another bombing ... who knows?**

 **Ohhhh and a few flashback scenes to fill in some gaps as well.**

 **Stay tuned my friends! Oh, and REVIEW please! =)**

 **\- Chide**


	24. I'm Up!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 ** _Long chapter but worth it ... I think._**

 ** _Thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated!_**

 ** _You guys are soooo awesome!_**

 ** _Without further delay ... ENJOY!_**

Chapter XXIV - I'm Up!

* * *

 ** _Earlier That Day : 0700 Hours_**

Torres sat with Amadi, Benjamin, and Johanson in one of the rooms at the warehouse that held Tali. "We are going to need to move the girl soon. Mamabear is getting extremely suspicious of me and, unfortunately, Papabear survived the bombing at the safehouse."

"Well isn't that lovely", Johanson said sarcastically. "I told you to let me go in and set up the bombs. This inside agent of yours is an amateur Mr. Amadi."

"Hey fuck you! I did exactly what you told me to do! Not my fault if your product didn't do the damn job! And I'm not the one that was dumb enough to leave blood at the DiNozzo house and get implicated in this shit so who's the amateur", Torres fired back.

"Gentleman, gentleman", Amadi spoke calmly, "there is no room to turn on each other now. I have waited years for this and I have taken into consideration that there might be a few mishaps along the way. Trust me, I have it covered."

Benjamin looked at him curiously, "so what do we do now? NCIS is now following him so there's no way we can just switch locations. Hell, how do we know they didn't follow him here. He could of led them right to us."

"That's very true", Amadi agreed.

"Look", Torres defended himself, "I made sure I broke from that protection detail without them knowing anything. Anything linking me to here is locked up in my desk at NCIS."

"Are you fucking mental", Johnson yelled. "Why the hell would you keep that shit in your fucking desk?"

"Because it's the last place anyone would expect me hide something. Completely in plain sight, it's perfect. So just chill! There's no way for them to track me right now whatsoever. We're good ... we just need a plan because once I go back to headquarters, I know for sure that Ziva DiNozzo is going to question me heavy."

"Well then, here's what I propose, you give her Mr. Johanson's hideaway as a cover for where the girl is and then ..."

"Wait, what", Johanson interrupted. "Why do I have to lose my place just because this douchebag fucked up!?"

Amadi cleared his throat then continued, "because I'm the one paying all of you and, so far, none of you have proven to be worth what I've paid. Now, as I was saying, Agent Torres here will give them the location of the other warehouse and then you, Mr. Johanson, will blow it up after the NCIS agents are inside. I'm sure Agent DiNozzo will be there so this is your shot to take her out for locking up your brother."

"Yeah, but what about all the stuff in there? They can scan for it before entering", Benjamin asked.

"We use the same jammers as before with the dummy location that Hunter Amadi was in. NCIS hasn't figured out a way to remotely deactivate them yet, so they'll basically go in blind. As long as Ziva doesn't see the original blueprints of the place, she'll go right in without question. I can make sure she gets the blueprints that don't show the basement. It will be easy. Plus, the chick is slightly off her game between her daughter and her husband, so we play it to our advantage", Torres informed.

Amadi smiled, "then it's settled, it will buy us another day or two before we have to move the girl and give us time to setup the final target. They'll be too caught up in dealing with the aftermath of the explosion that no one will be looking for anything else. So, let's make it happen gentlemen!"

* * *

.

* * *

 ** _Present Time : 1900 Hours_**

It was almost quiet as the world seemed to stop spinning and darkness fell. The only noises to be heard as Ziva got out the car was that of the wind whistling and the rain falling. A calm washed over her while she stood under the pouring rain and a familiar feeling crept up her spine.

 _Tali is here._

She looked up at where the second warehouse stood. The building looked dark and uninhabited. It looked more abandoned and run down than all the other places they'd been to search for Tali. By looking at it, there would be no way anyone was inside but Ziva knew.

 _Tali is definitely here._

There was no need to talk as all instructions were laid out before arrival. The second car had gone ahead of them, as planned, to cover the back of the building. From her car— Ziva, McGee, the agent from Homeland, and a member of the extraction team walked up to the front of the building.

"We're in position Agent DiNozzo", said one of the other extraction team members over the radio.

Ziva looked at McGee as they got in position. He nodded that he was ready.

 _Ima's coming motek._

She lifted her hand to cut on her mic and spoke, "this is it boys, 3 - 2 - 1 - GO!"

* * *

.

* * *

Bishop cautiously walked next to the tree line behind the other warehouse trying to find any clues concerning the bombing. Given the priliminary trajectory readings of the blast, she figured it might be worth a shot to look around closer to the trees. She stopped as something caught her eye in the tall grass that surrounded the same tree that Ziva had pointed to when they first arrived on the scene.

"Ziva was right", Bishop said absently.

The other agent walking with her looked at her quizzically. "Huh?"

She shook her head, "Ziva ... she said that there was something over here before and I told her it was probably a deer ... I was wrong, look." Bishop pointed down towards the metal object on the ground.

"That looks like a remote trigger", the agent said as he walked over to take a picture and collect it for evidence.

"Yeah, which means there wasn't a deer over here but a person. I should have pushed her to trust her instincts and not brush them off. Had I done that, we wouldn't have lost four agents and the others wouldn't be fighting for their lives right now. This is basically my fault."

The agent finished bagging the trigger and stood up, "I'm sure Agent DiNozzo isn't going to blame you Agent Bishop. None of us could have known this was going to happen. We went in blind."

"But Ziva knew something was off and she was right. There had to be someone here watching us, waiting for us to storm the building. My guess would be that it was Marko Johanson."

"Why him? And how would he know we were coming?"

"I spoke to his brother in prinson today, Deeter Johanson. The guy basically gloated about how he had taught his little brother to build bombs early on in life. Then he mentioned something about loving the forest. I should have put it together sooner. As for how Marko would have know about us being here, I don't know. Unfortunately, I'm betting on my old partner finding a way to contact him to tell him we were coming."

"Well, I don't really know what to say to that but you have to think positive considering everything. I mean, it could of been worse."

She sighed then turned to point at the side of the building that took the brunt of the blast, "what could be worse than that?'

The agent shrugged, "Could of been the entire warehouse."

* * *

.

* * *

"Can't believe I had to blow my place up", Johanson shook his head and he walked in behind Benjamin and Amadi. He looked down at Tali knocked out on the floor. "She had better been worth me losing that prime location."

"Oh trust me, Mr. Johanson, she is", Amadi chuckled as he turned to face him. "So, how long ago did the bomb go off? I'd like to watch the news and find out the casualties."

"Thirty minutes ago. I got out of there as quick as I could before any first responders got to the scene. The blast was bigger than I thought it would be, damn this was beautiful to watch. Shouldn't be long now before it's on the breaking news report", he smirked. "Just wish all those bastards were inside. I know for sure I got the girl's mum though."

"No worries", Benjamin chimed in, "when we take down NCIS you'll get them all."

All three men laughed and looked back at Tali's limp body before moving to exit the room. Their laugh fest was cut short, however, when gunshots could be heard on the other side of the door.

"What the fuck is that", Johanson asked looking at Benjamin.

Amadi shook his head, "go get your goons in order Mr. Benjamin! That's the second time today that those imbeciles have decided to use that vacant room as a shooting range!"

"Those aren't my guys", Benjamin confessed in a panic as he closed the door back after peaking out into the hall. "It's the fucking ..."

"FEDERAL AGENTS! EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND NOW", an extraction team agent shouted as he entered the room with the other four agents that had come along with McGee and Ziva.

The last two remaining men from Benjamin's crew drew their weapons and stood beside the terrorist trio. Benjamin and Johanson also had guns drawn. Amadi stood behind them, but in front of where Tali was laying on the floor.

It was a stand-off. Everyone froze as silence blanketed the room. It wasn't long though, before the silence was broken by the sound of two gunshots going off in unison from the other side of the room. A hidden access door had allowed Ziva and McGee to creep into the room from behind and take out the last of Benjamin's men with perfect headshots.

"Drop your weapons", McGee demanded as the three men turned around. "NOW!"

Amadi knelt down towards Tali and Ziva stepped closer, "touch her and my next bullet gets buried in your skull. My husband isn't here to save you now, and all things considering, I'm pretty sure he'd love for me to take the shot" Her voice was even and calm. There was an eeriness, however, in her tone that almost made the man tremble.

He nodded and glanced back at Johanson and Benjamin who still held their stance with their weapons. "Do as they say, lower your weapons gentlemen."

"No fuck that bitch", Johanson yelled. "I don't know how the fuck you escaped my bomb, but you ain't escaping this ro ..."

Before he could finish, Ziva took the shot and everyone watched as his lifeless body instantly dropped to the floor. With that distraction, two men from extraction tackled Benjamin and disarmed him before putting him in cuffs. The other agents pushed Amadi all the way to the ground and cuffed him as well.

"Get those two out of here", McGee ordered before taking out his cell to call Bishop for backup at their location. He requested she get an ambulance to follow as well for Tali and Ziva. When he hung up, he looked down at Ziva who had finally broken out of her old self and was holding Tali tightly, rocking her back and forth with tears streaming down her face.

"Ima is here motek. I'm right here. I got you baby girl, it's all over now. I promise."

McGee walked back over to her. "Is she ...", he couldn't bring himself to ask the question.

Ziva looked up and smiled through her tears, "she's alive Tim. My baby is alive!"

He let out an overdue sigh of relief, "oh thank God!"

"I think she's just knocked out, but her pulse is good and her heart beat is strong." She looked over at the blood pool around Johanson's head. "Please, help me get my angel out of here. I don't want her to wake up again inside this hellhole."

* * *

.

* * *

 ** _Three Hours Later : 2200 Hours_**

Ziva and Anthony sat in between Tony and Tali as they laid sleeping in their hospital beds. Somehow, Gibbs had pulled some crazy strings to break hospital protocol and have the father and daughter put into the same room so the family could be together.

Gibbs, Bishop, Abby, Palmer, and McGee had all stopped by shortly after Ziva had finished getting checked by Dr. Copeland. Apart from a minor concussion and some cuts and bruises, she was perfectly fine. A miracle in itself given the fact that she was so close to the blast radius. She had made a mental note to go see Agent Holmes later and thank him. Had it not been for him standing in front of her, things would have been a lot worse.

For now, she was just focused on being with her family. Most importantly, preparing for Tali and Tony to regain consciousness.

 _Please come back soon._

Part of her was nervous as she knew it was possible Tony would have memory loss. It could definitely put stress on all of them depending on exactly how much he'd forgotten. She also worried about how the drugs in Tali's system would affect her in the hours to come. Dr. Copeland had made it clear that the teen's system could go into shock at some point, just like Hunter's had, but they would monitor her closely for the next few days.

 _Just fight through it._

Despite it all though, Ziva was just grateful that the nightmare was done. The DiNozzo's had survived the worst.

 _It's all over now._

"Ima?" Anthony's soft voice drew Ziva from her thoughts.

"Yes my little lamb", she looked towards him as he pointed down to his hand holding Tali's hand.

"Tal just moved", his eyes got wide as he watched his big sister's hand squeeze his again.

Ziva jumped up from her seat and started stroking Tali's head as she spoke closely into her ear, "Motek, can you hear me? You are safe now. Ima is here and so is abba and Anthony. My sweet angel, if you can hear me, please squeeze your brother's hand again."

The room was quiet for a moment except for the sounds of the monitors and machines beeping. Ziva and Anthony both stared at Tali's hand in anticipation. Time seemed to go slower as they waited. After a minute that seemed more like an hour ...

"She did it! She squeezed my hand! She can hear you Ima!" Anthony couldn't hide his excitement.

"Tali, baby, listen to me. I need you to open your eyes, okay? We need you to fully come back to us. I promise, you're safe now", Ziva paused to kiss Tali's forehead softly. "Please, motek, come back. Just listen to my voice and open your eyes."

"Come on Tal, you got this", Anthony encouraged.

A lone tear forced itself out of Tali's closed eyes as she fought to open them. Ziva quickly wiped it away and kissed her daughter's forehead again, "it's okay Tali, Ima is right here motek. You're doing good, just open your eyes all the way babygirl. Come back to us."

The soothing sound of her mother's voice finally broke through completely as Tali's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at her. "Ima", she choked out as the tears came in full force.

Ziva matched her daughter's tears as she gently pulled her into a hug. "Shhh, it's okay baby. I promise, you are safe now. No one else can hurt you again."

Anthony continued to hold Tali's hand and smiled as they locked eyes, "welcome back Tal! I missed you're annoying face."

She couldn't help but chuckle, "I missed you too twerp." Tali squeezed his hand again then looked back up at Ziva. An immediate sadness washed over her and she looked away.

Ziva noticed the change in her eyes and needed to know what was wrong. "Anthony, please go see if Dr. Copeland is in her office and tell her that Tali is awake. If you can't find her, then bring a nurse back with you."

"I'm on it", he squeezed Tali's hand once more and then gently sat it down before exiting to find Dr. Copeland.

"Tali", Ziva lightly placed her hand on the teen's face and turned it so that their eyes could meet. "I know a lot has happened, but it's not good to hold it in. Your healing begins now. I need you to tell me what is wrong so we can help you. Are you in pain?"

"A little, but I'm fine."

Ziva shook her head, "I used to tell your father that lie all the time. He always saw right through it." At the mention of her father, Tali started crying hysterically. It took Ziva by surprise but she immediately held her tighter. "Motek, what is it?"

"I know already Ima ... I know about abba ... about the bomb ... I'm so sorry."

"Oh my sweet child, there is nothing to be sorry about. Your father will be okay."

 _What?_ Tali's head shot up and her confusion was evident, "how can he be okay if he's dead!?"

Taken aback by the comment and the elevation in Tali's voice, Ziva sighed deeply and moved so that she was no longer blocking Tali's view. "Tali, your father survived the bomb. He's not dead, he's right there baby."

Her eyes followed the direction in which Ziva was looking. Suddenly she sprang up from the bed and ran to her father's side, completely disregarding that her IV had ripped out of her arm. "ABBA! OH GOD ABBA!"

Ziva quickly went to her and rubbed her back as she leaned on Tony. "Tali", she said softly, "You can't be out of bed sweetheart. We need to get you back in bed and your IV needs to be put back in. Abba is still unconscious. He might be for another few days."

"No", Tali yelled. "Please Ima, if I heard you then maybe he can hear me! I need him to wake up! I need to hear his voice! They told me he was dead!"

"Sssshhhhh, baby, you have seen for yourself that he is alive. He will comeback when he is ready. Right now, you need to rest and get checked out again."

"Your mother is right Tali", Dr. Copeland spoke as she entered the room with Anthony following behind her. "You need to get back in bed. You're actually bleeding on top of your father's bandages. I need to get you both cleaned up again"

"Who is she", Tali asked as she looked down and realized she was in fact bleeding on one of Tony's bandages.

"This is Dr. Copeland", Ziva explained, "she's been taking care of your father and she will take care of you too. Come on, let's get you back in bed."

Tali reluctantly agreed and allowed Ziva to help her climb into bed then let the doctor do a quick checkup and replace her IV. Anthony went in hall to give some privacy since Tali need to be undressed and called Gibbs to share the news of Tali being awake.

"Tali, you have a minor concussion and you have stitches on your back and shoulder. Looks like you've popped a few so I'll have to redo those. You have two bruised ribs as well so you really must take it easy. Aside from that, the external bruises should heal up soon enough but those cuts on your back will leave scars. Luckily, you don't have an infection. You should recover well in due time."

"What's wrong with my dad?"

Dr. Copeland looked at Ziva who nodded her approval for her to respond to Tali's question. "Your father sustained a severe concussion as well as a sprained wrist and dislocated shoulder. Due to the nature of his head trauma, it is possible that he may have some temporary memory loss when he regains consciousness. But we can't force him to wake up, it could make things worse."

"So we just have to wait then", Tali sighed. "This is all my fault."

Ziva scoffed, "this is NOT your fault Tali. Do not say such things."

"How can you say it's not when abba is laying there because Nick blew him and Hunter up after trying to find a lead to find me."

Ziva cleared her throat as it now dawned on her that Tali knew a lot more than she thought. "Doctor, can you excuse us for a moment?"

"Yes but only to go get what I need to patch up those stiches and rebandage the both of them. I really need to keep her from getting an infection, but I suppose it can wait ten minutes."

"I understand, ten minutes is all I need." As soon as Dr. Copeland left, Ziva turned to Tali, "you know about Torres being involved?"

"At first I didn't, then he showed up one day and was bragging with Hunter's dad about killing abba and Hunter", she paused as her thoughts drifted to Hunter.

Ziva noticed the far off longing look on her face. "Hunter is alive too." Tali's eyes shot up in shock and then shifted to a look of relief. Ziva noticed that too, "you were held together. He told me what happened. What Benjamin did to ..."

"I'm fine", Tali interrupted. "Really, I'm not ready to talk about that yet. Please don't ..."

"I will not make you do or say anything you are not ready my angel." She reassured the teen with a smile.

"Thank you ... can I see Hunter? I mean, not now obviously, but in a day or two?"

 _If he pulls through._ Ziva suddenly didn't have the heart to tell Tali that it was possible Hunter might not make it. The girl looked so hopeful, she didn't want to break her. "Sure, motek, we will see him soon. For now, just focus on getting better yourself. After the doctor stitches you back up, I want you to try to go back to sleep and rest. We won't be leaving any time soon. So you just rest."

* * *

.

* * *

 ** _A Short Time Later : 2345 Hours_**

Once father and daughter were cleaned up again, Ziva had gotten Tali and Tony's beds moved closer together so Tali could hold her abba's hand as requested in her terms for staying in bed. Her stubbornness making Ziva laugh at the reminder of how much the teenage girl was so much like her.

Now, Anthony sat indian-style at the foot of Tali's bed. Ziva sat in the chair next to Tony's and softly stroked his head. Tali had dozed of slightly but abruptly woke back up when an image flashed in her subconscious mind.

"Whoa, Tal, you okay", Anthony rubbed his sister's leg to try to calm her down. It worked quickly when she looked around the room and remembered where she was.

She sighed and leaned back, "Yeah, just a bad dream."

Ziva carefully watched the exchange. _She's having flashbacks._ Readjusting in her seat, Ziva decided not to ask what she saw but chose to remind her, "you are safe motek."

"I know", she shook her head to knock out the unsettling feeling. "I know, I'm fine, it was nothing. How long was I out?"

"Not long", Anthony answered as he continued to rub her leg. "You sure you're cool?"

"Yes III, I'm cool", she tried to laugh it off. "Since when did you become such a worrywart like mom."

"Since those assholes took you."

"Hey young man", Ziva interrupted. "Language!"

"Oops, my bad. But they are ass ..." He paused when Ziva gave him a threatening look. "Um .. I mean ... jerks and I hope they pay for hurting you guys."

It was then that Tali finally noticed the bandage on Ziva's head and the cuts and scrapes on her arm. "Wait, mom, what happened to you?"

"Nothing honey, I'm fine".

"Lies, mom was totally badass and got blown up earlier then still went to track down the terrorist assholes and rescue you."

"If I tell you about your choice of language again, you are going to be grounded for the next three years."

"Jeeezzzzzz that's harsh ..."

"Pause", Tali interrupted, "you were in the explosion too?"

Ziva sighed, "not the same one as your father but a different one. We were sent into a trap, luckily I was far away enough to only have some cuts and bruises. After I came to, I had Abby give me the second location we traced the terrorists to and Uncle Tim and I, along with some other agents, found you."

"Did you kill them", Tali's question was laced with a desperate hope that the answer was 'yes'.

"We can talk about this later Tali. Now is not the time." Ziva knew it wasn't the answer she wanted but she didn't want to upset her anymore than she visibly was. "Let's just be thankful and grateful that you are back with us and safe now."

 _They're not dead._ Tali sighed in defeat, knowing exactly what her mother's response meant but she let it go for now. "I think I'll be more thankful and grateful when abba wakes up."

Just then, a weak low hoarse voice came from the bed next to her saying, "I'm up!"

* * *

 **Whoop whoop! Tali's back!**

 **The DiNozzo's are reunited!**

 **Next chapter:**

 **We talk to Tony ... will he have memory loss?**

 **We talk to the remaining terrorist ... will they reveal everything?**

 **We get a visit from an old OLD friend ... but who?**

 **Stick around my friends! And don't forget to review!**

 **\- Chide**


	25. Chapter XXV

**Disclaimers disclaimed.**

 **I know . I know . I've been gone for like a week.**

 **There was so much going on personally that I needed to tend to but I'm back now. Here's the new chapter ... I actually wrote 2 versions, but I felt this one is better with less drama ... sometimes less is more ... LoL**

 **Without further ado ... ENJOY!**

 **P.S. - I'm purposely not posting a title as that will give away the surprise at the end ... and DONT skip ahead just to see. LoL**

Chapter XXV -

* * *

 _Just then, a weak low hoarse voice came from the bed next to her saying, "I'm up!"_

The room fell silent as Ziva, Tali, and Anthony looked on in astonishment that Tony had just spoken. He was finally awake, eyes fluttering open and trying to adjust to the lighting as he moved in the bed. He groaned as the sudden shock of pain ripped through his arm, "Ugh! Everything hurts."

"Shhh, it's okay my love", Ziva kissed his forehead gently. "Try not to shift on your left, you have a sprained wrist and dislocated shoulder."

Tony shook his head, "what the hell happened to me? One minute I remember carrying Officer Amadi then the next ...". His voice slowly drifted off until it was dead quiet. His attention now focused on the figure that lay smiling at him in the bed next to his. _My babygirl._ Immediate tears flooded from his eyes as he whispered, "Tali?"

The teenager grabbed his hand and smiled even brighter as her own tears started to fall. She leaned over, amidst her own pain, and wiped his tears. "Hi abba, welcome back."

"How", Tony looked at Ziva, "when?"

"Today", Ziva paused to wipe the tears that she hadn't realized had fallen from her own eyes. "Our little girl is safe now. She's back babe."

Tony let out a sigh of relief, "Talibear, I'm so sorry for every ..."

"Abba, it's okay", Tali interrupted. "It was no one's fault and Ima kept fighting to find me. I know you both never gave up."

Anthony cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at him. He chuckled, "so like, this is all very beautiful but, ummm, I think dad needs a proper bro hugs because you chicks have made him all mushy. It's totally weird!" Everyone laughed as the young boy hopped off his spot at the end of Tali's bed and came over to give his father a 'bro hug'. "Welcome back dad!"

"Good to see you buddy", Tony chuckled. The family was quiet for a moment, just taking in the feeling of finally being back together. Eventually, though, Tony broke the silence, "so how long have I been out?"

"Two days Director, and it's wonderful to see you're awake now", Dr. Copeland answered as she entered the room. "I'm Dr. Copeland, and you've been under my care since your arrival."

"Hey doc", Tony greeted. "You've got perfect timing!"

The doctor smiled, "it would seem so. I was coming to check up on your vitals, and here I find you wide awake. That's a good sign! I just need to ask some questions, are you up for it?"

"Ask away doc!"

"Okay, on a scale from one to ten, what's your pain level?"

"Hmm, about a 8. Could definitely use some meds."

Dr. Copeland nodded as she jotted something down on his chart, "alright, I will have the nurse bring in the good stuff after I finish here. Next question, do you remember how you got here?"

"It's a little fuzzy", Tony answered honestly. "I remember being outside the safehouse, then an explosion went off in the front of the house. The entire front of the house was in flames so, I ran to the back of the house to save Officer Amadi. There wasn't a back door so I had to climb through the window. When I got to him, he was in the hallway passed out. There was so much smoke. I remember wrapping him in a sheet and dragging him back out of the house through the bedroom window ... after that I can't remember anything."

Ziva looked at him quizzically, "so you weren't inside when either of the bombs went off?"

"Either? As in more than one", Tony asked.

"There were two", Dr. Copeland answered. "But you getting out before the second blast would explain why your injuries weren't much worse. I'm glad to see that the memory loss is minimal. It seems you remember everything except for that second explosion which is what caused your head trauma. My concern was that you wouldn't remember anything, so this is actually a good thing. You're a very lucky and resilient man, Director DiNozzo."

"Well thanks doc, I do try!" Tony joked and let out a small laugh.

The doctor chuckled, "well, your vitals look good. Your injuries will heal in due time. As I already said, I'll sent a nurse in with some pain meds. Other than that, I want you to get some good rest tonight and I'll be back to check on you and Tali in the morning. I'll leave you all to enjoy your reunion. Goodnight."

"Goodnight doc, and thanks!"

Dr. Copeland gave a smiling nod as she left and closed the door behind her. A few moments later, a nurse came in to give both Tony and Tali pain meds then left as well. Anthony took his seat back at the end of Tali's bed and broke the silence that had come in the room again, "sooooooo can we tell dad about how ima totally kicked terrorist ass to find Tali?"

* * *

.

* * *

Back at NCIS, McGee sat at his desk staring blankly at his computer screen. He didn't even noticed that Bishop had been talking him for the past five minutes until she stood in front of him and snapped her fingers in front of his face. He jumped slightly then looked up at her, "huh?"

The younger agent shook her head, "I've just had an entire conversation by myself, you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry about that, I was just thinking."

"I guessed that. Want to talk about it?"

McGee shrugged, "my emotions are just all over the place I suppose. I mean, I'm elated that we found Tali and that the DiNozzo's are now back together ... but then ... then I'm furious because the bastards that hurt the people that I consider family, were aided by someone who had become 'like' family and it just sucks. I feel like an ass because I ..."

"Didn't see it sooner", Bishop finished off his statement. She sighed, "Torres is ... was, my partner ... I still can't believe that he had anything to do with this but he did and I defended him. I feel like an idiot."

"We all got played. It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault. Now we just need to get to the bottom of the truth. Tomorrow, we need to break him even more and we need to break the other two bastards."

"Do you think they'll confess to their motives and plan", Bishop asked hesitantly.

"I don't know", McGee sighed, "but I hope they do. They'll have a few more hours to work it out within themselves. Come tomorrow morning, Ziva will be back to start the interrogations with me. It's super late now, we should both go home and get some rest."

"Can I make a request?" McGee nodded as he stood for Bishop to continue. "Let me interrogate Torres this time. I need this, I have to know why he became a traitor. I'm sure Ziva wants another crack at him, but this means something different for me."

"Say no more, I understand. You can do it. I'll talk to Ziva for you first thing in the morning."

Bishop gave a halfhearted smile, "thanks."

* * *

.

* * *

Hours later, Tony stirred from his sleep. He looked over to see Ziva sleeping in the chairs beside his bed and then looked to see Anthony now laying in the fetal position at the foot of Tali's bed, totally knocked out sleep. He smiled at the sight, then looked back up the bed to find that Tali was awake and silently inspecting her bruised wrists.

"Hey kiddo", he said in a whisper.

Tali looked up with a shy smile, "hey abba."

"What are you doing up? You should be sleeping sweetie."

"I can't", Tali sighed, "when I close my eyes, thinks aren't pretty."

"I'm sorry babygirl ..."

"Don't be", she interrupted, "it's not your fault. I blame the terrorists, not you or mom."

Tony shook his head, "Tali, I know it's not our fault, but mom and I still feel guilty for not protecting you better or finding you sooner."

"I know ... but at least you guys found me and didn't give up on me like Director Amadi did on Hunter."

"I still can't believe that bastard is part of this mess. I should have let your mother kill him that day in my office." His words made Tali raise her eyebrow in curiosity. Tony quickly tried to cover, "don't tell her I said that ... as a matter of fact, you forget I even said it."

Tali chuckled, "even after all of this, you and Ima both try to sheild me and III from the details of your job. Why? You guys should really open up mire to us about it. It could be helpful."

"You may have a point. One in which I'll consider. Right now, though, I want you to try and sleep."

"Abba, it's not that easy ... even with the sleeping meds", she admitted then leaned forward so that she could touch the small of her back. "Do you think ima will ever talk to me about the time she was captured in Somalia?"

Tony looked at her quizzically, "how do you know about Somalia?"

"Well, I don't actually know the details, just the parts that you and Ima argue about whenever she shutsdown during a case. You usually blame it on Somalia and she usually chin checks you."

"Heh", he chuckled, "so you've heard those arguments?"

Tali nodded, "mmhmm, III has too. We both want to know why it's so major that you still bring it up after so many years? And, to be honest, I think having mom talk to me about it will help my own healing. We now have matching back scares."

"What?" Tony was oblivious to any of the scares that were hidden under Tali's hospital gown. His eyes grew wide as she gingerly rolled to her side for him to have a peak at the few lash marks exposed and not covered under heavy gauze. The view almost made his heart stop and a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "Tali ... I'm ... oh God babygirl ... I'm so ..."

Tali rolled back over, "it's okay abba. I can barely feel it anymore. I'm just grateful to be safe now and to have you back."

"I swear, I'll never lose you again kiddo. And no one will ever hurt you again." He reach his hand out and grabbed Tali's softly. "And I promise, your mom and I will start talking to you more about the past if it helps you heal."

"Thanks dad", she paused to yawn, "maybe we should try to go back to sleep. I'm feeling a little better now."

Tony smiled and squeezed her hand gently as she slowly drifted off to sleep. After looking over hos his family once again, he soon found himself back in dreamland too.

* * *

.

* * *

At 0800 the next day, Bishop walked into the bullpen with purpose. She stood before McGee who was finishing up a phone call, waiting to know the morning's agenda. After nine gruesome days of nonstop searching and finally finding Tali, the senior field agent wanted to finally get some closure. Not just for her bosses, but also for herself. It was time to break Torres for real, and there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to do it. All she needed was the 'okay' from McGee and Ziva.

Knowing exactly what she wanted, McGee hung up his phone and looked Bishop in the eyes, "that was Ziva, she says Tony and Tali are both awake and Tony's memory loss isn't as bad as we thought it would be. He remembers everything up until right before the second explosion. And both he and Ziva have agreed with me in allowing you to interrogate Torres." He paused to hand her a folder, "I've already had him brought in from lockup, so he's all yours."

Bishop took the folder gladly and smirked, "let's do this then."

With confidence, they both nodded and headed towards interrogation. McGee gave her one more approving glance before going into the Observation Room. Bishop took another deep breath and entered interrogation. Slamming the folder on the table, she caused Torres to flinch slightly and lift his head to look her.

There was no point in sitting down right away for the occasion, Bishop's nerves were too high. Something about seeing Torres' face, knowing he had been lying and was a traitor to their family, made her blood boil. There was an unusual and uncharacteristic urge within her to snap his neck, but that seemed too easy. For every day that Tali had to suffer, for every moment Tony and Ziva had to struggle with not knowing if their first born was still alive, for every hour the team worked to find answers and he worked to continue to throw them off course, Bishop wanted him to pay a slow and demoralizing debt. For her, that started with making him finally admit the truth and eventually hang himself ... figuratively speaking. _Well maybe literally._

Calming her inner thoughts and emotions as much as possible, Bishop leaned against the wall and looked towards Torres. "I never thought, in a million years, that we'd be in this room like this. Quite frankly, I don't even know how to feel right now but seeing as though we've found Tali", she paused to gauge his reaction. When his eyes widened and she saw a glint of fear, she smirked and continued, "I'd have to say, overall, I'm feeling pretty damn good. I guess the real source of my other, less joyous emotions, stems from the fact that you've been fully involved in this whole thing. What I'd like to know is, why?"

Torres just stared at her as she stared back, waiting for a response. After a few moments, however, he still remained silent. His obvious refusal to talk made her blood boil even more but, she kept her cool and resumed her monologue.

"What really boggles my mind, is how you played us all so well. I guess all those undercover missions really made you a great actor. To be honest, I feel silly that I didn't catch on sooner. Ziva figured it out first, of course. But even when she told me, I defended you." She sighed then chuckled as she finally sat in the seat across from him, "Can you believe that? I defended a traitor ... actually, considering the evidence we have against you ... not only did I defend a traitor but also a terrorist. By the way, Tony is awake now and he's pretty pissed that you tried to blow him up." Seeing the look in his face, she leaned in to whisper, "and I'm certain that he's going to use his pull with SecNav to finish off what Ziva started in here yesterday once he gets out of the hospital. If I were you, I'd enjoy my last few days of being able to pee without a catheter."

At the thought of losing the use of his extended member and the recollection of the pain Ziva had inflicted less than 24 hours before, Torres absently moved his hand from on top of the table and sat them protectively on his lap as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Bishop, in turn, opened the folder she had brought in with her and tossed a few pictures in front of him. She then leaned back in her chair and continued, "anyway, back to your Oscar worthy acting. From day one, you had us all fooled. You knew exactly why Tony was calling us to his house that day but, damn, you played it off so well. And we know all of those bugs and cameras were placed by you, there's no one else who had that kind of access to the DiNozzo house besides someone deep within their circle. I'm going to bet that you placed them right around the end of summer when you volunteered to house sit while they were in Tel Aviv. Am I right?"

She didn't wait for his response. Instead she pointed to photo of the burnt down safehouse and went on, "your performance was almost perfect the entire time ... ALMOST ... because you really screwed yourself in the early hours of day nine. You remember, don't you? How you went to the safehouse and set two bombs quietly but you weren't quiet enough were you? Nope! Not when you made the mistake of drawing Tony from his sleep and having him chase you outside. Then you got yourself shot and left your blood at the scene. And then the bombs you set didn't even kill their intended targets ... oh, I believe I failed to mention that Hunter Amadi is expected to make a full recovery. Isn't that lovely!?"

"Judging by your face, I'm going to assume that you thought Officer Amadi was dead? No sir, he's very much alive. Failure after failure for you, Torres. And can I tell you exactly when you started to look really suspicious? When you went MIA and then it occurred to us that the radio station had information concerning the bombing that we ourselves weren't even privy too until we got to the scene. You were a little premature in your press release, and a little cheap in your payment to the DJ that made the announcement. He told us exactly who gave him the information and we traced the payment right back to a hidden offshore account that you've been keeping. I can't wait to ask Director Amadi how he feels about paying half a million for you to just royally fuck up everything so badly?"

"You have Amadi", Torres finally asked in a nervous tone.

"Wow, so I see the mention of your REAL boss is what gets you to speak. Okay, noted, so let's talk about your boss", she said sarcastically. "Yes, we have Amadi ... oh, and Benjamin too. Unfortunately, Johanson is no longer a factor as Ziva put a bullet in his head but, that's the nature of the job. I digress though ... Amadi, we figured the cash deposits that summed up to half a million were from him ... however, the money trail didn't exactly lead us to him. It was actually your stupidity in hiding those burn phones in your desk. Once you went MIA a second time, our crafty ninja friend Ziva picked the lockbox in your desk and, wouldn't you know it, we found the phones. It took Abby a little while to get into them but eventually she did. Not a moment too soon as the trap you set almost worked. Unfortunately, we lost a few good men, but your main target ... US ... your 'team' and so called 'family', we made it out unscathed. After that, by process of elimination, there was only one other place to go and our fearless leaders went. You inadvertently sent them right to Tali and the terrorist. So, THANKS!"

Bishop shifted in her seat to lean forward again, "what do you think Director Amadi will have to say when we tell him it was you who led us to foiling his plans?"

"You think his plans are foiled?" Torres chuckled, "there's another target and, trust me, whether we are in lock up or not, the world will still see and know of his power. This is bigger than you know Ellie."

"Where is the target", Bishop asked in a dry low tone.

"Nah, I want a deal first. I was coerced into this! I'm a victim here too!"

"A victim? I may have believed that 24 hours ago, but not now. And you know, NCIS does NOT negotiate with terrorists so ..."

"I am NOT a fucking terrorist", Torres interrupted while slamming his hands on the table.

Bishop was unfazed by his outburst and calmly asked again, "where is the target?"

"Look Ellie", he tried to reason, "you have to believe me. I'm really a victim here!"

She rolled her eyes, "What I believe is that you acted on your will and decided to partner with Amadi and Benjamin. I believe that you setup both Ziva and Tony to be killed in those bombings. I believe that Tali and Hunter were taken, almost flawlessly, because of your inside knowledge to the DiNozzo's life and the classified intel concerning Hunter's assignment here. I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are a bold face liar and a traitor and I'm not going to ask my question again, so answer me NOW!"

* * *

.

* * *

Leaving her family behind at the hospital wasn't something that Ziva wanted to do. In fact it was the last thing she wanted to do but, having Tali back meant that the real work now had to begin. She had called ahead for McGee to begin the interrogations. After getting the update that Bishop had been pressing Torres for two hours and McGee himself had now been in with Director Amadi for an hour, she decided to take on Benjamin.

As she walked down the hall at NCIS headquarters, images of the past kept flooding into her mind. The main one, in particular, that made her uncomfortable ... _Somalia ..._ she hadn't the slightest idea why it seemed to be on her mind so much during this whole process. Well, maybe she did know. _I have to help Tali heal. She cannot be like me and keep it bottled up._ The thought of the torture, and the now very real visual proof on her first born, made Ziva feel a wide range of emotions. Those emotions, however, needed to be placed on the back burner as now she had a job to do. She needed answers for her family's sake, especially for Tali.

Ziva entered the interrogation room where Benjamin had been waiting. Quietly, she sat down and gestured towards the two way mirror for the tech in Observation to begin recording. When she saw the red light on the the camera turn on, she turned to face her daughter's captor.

"It's been a long time Officer David", Benjamin chuckled, "or is it Agent DiNozzo now? You look almost the same as you did when you were just a rookie officer. You've aged very well."

"And you look completely different, except for that hideous tattoo", Ziva responded calmly. "Now that we have gotten the pleasantries out of the way, let's talk about the important matters."

"The important matters? Hmm, well, I guess we could talk about those things. What's really important? Climate control, over population in the world, the war in Africa, children with diabetes, how many hours are enough hours of sleep to be well rested ... Actually that last thing is quite important to me", he spoke sarcastically. "I haven't really been getting much sleep on account of that sweet little Tali and her sexy ..."

Before he could finish crossing the line, Ziva was out of her seat with the barrel of her weapon pressing hard into his forehead. "Let my daughter's name escape from your lips again and I will pull this trigger. Make another sexual innuendo concerning my daughter and I will pull this trigger. Piss me off again and will pull this trigger. Do you understand?"

"I see now where those fire filled eyes and aggression comes from. Your daughter is just like you, Agent DiNozzo." Benjamin leaned forward more into the barrel of the gun, "but I also think she gets your cowardice too. Go ahead, shoot me. Ruin your life like you ruined mine, I bet you don't have the lady balls to pull that trigger."

"Don't test me", Ziva responded through gritted teeth.

"You couldn't do it years ago and can't do it now", he leaned back and laughed.

His cool demeanor pissing Ziva off even more. She took of the safety, "want to bet?"

Just then the door to interrogation flew open and an elderly, but still stoic, woman entered the room. "Do not lose your life over a pedophilic monster Ziva. Put the weapon away, you know much better ways to break him."

The woman's voice drew Ziva to return her sig to its holster and back away from Benjamin slowly. She looked towards the door and her heart almost dropped. The almost fragile figure before her drawing a different wave of emotions entirely as she whispered, "Orli?"

* * *

 **Soooo, I know I have A LOT of 'xplaining to do ... LoL**

 **It will come in the next chapter ...**

 **Now go REVIEW!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide  
**


	26. Definite Idiot!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXVI - Definite Idiot

* * *

 _The woman's voice drew Ziva to return her sig to its holster and back away from Benjamin slowly. She looked towards the door and her heart almost dropped. The almost fragile figure before her drawing a different wave of emotions entirely as she whispered, "Orli?"_

The older older and now salt and pepper haired woman smile warmly at Ziva as she stepped further into the interrogation room. She reached out her arms and pulled the younger woman in for a hug, which Ziva gladly reciprocated. It had been years since the two had seen each other and this impromptu meeting was partly welcomed by Ziva, while she partly wanted to know exactly why Orli had come without any prior warning that she'd be traveling to DC, and NCIS in general.

Releasing her from the hug, and knowing exactly what was on her mind, Orli immediately spoke. "While I understand you are in the middle of an investigation Ziva, I would like a word with you in the hall to explain why I am here."

With no reason to protest and out of sheer intrigue, Ziva looked back once to glare at Benjamin then turned and nodded to Orli. Before they exited the room, it didn't go unnoticed by Ziva the glint of complete horror that Orli seemed to produce in Benjamin's eyes. _Mossad is his weak point._ She made a mental note to address his evident fear when she went back in. For now, as she closed the door behind her, she wanted to give Orlie her undivided attention.

"It would seem, my dear Ziva, that that poor excuse of a man you are interrogating is one that Israel has been searching for for quite some time. Three years to be exact", Orli began. "He has waged many crimes against Israel, and I would like to question him on his escape from our prison. It is known that someone had to orchestrate his disappearance and fund the capital for his complete physical makeover. I need to know who it was that helped him so that they may also be brought down and tried for their crimes against Israel."

Orli paused to study Ziva's face. While it would have been harder for someone else to see it, the seasoned woman knew all too well that Ziva had every answer for her already. She chose, however, not to question it at the moment and continued, "Now clearly, that monster is your mark and this is your house so I'm only asking a favor, on behalf of Mossad, that you allow me to question him ... you know, before you kill him?" The older woman let out a rare laugh after she finished.

Ziva chuckled, "I thought you retired Orli?"

"Ah my dear, I was retired", she responded as she placed her hand on Ziva's back and rubbed it gently. "But then I got tired of traveling and being home, so I took up a cunsultant position with Mossad. It is only when I am needed, like this, when old cases such as Benjamin's comes up."

"I see, so how does Mossad know we have him", Ziva asked more out of curiosity than anything else.

"Well, technically, they do not know. Between us, I noticed that Paza was doing more looking into Benjamin then she had been before when the case was first reopened . I asked her why she was so focused on it when there was a more recent op that should have been taking all of her attention. When she finally stated that you had called about the case and told me about poor Tali, I knew I needed to see you", Orli paused when she noticed Ziva's irritated look. "Ziva, do not worry, Paza has not spoken any of this to anyone else. No one within Mossad, other than Paza and myself know about Benjamin's recent activity. The only reason she broke your confidence to tell me is because she knew I would be able to get more from you and help Mossad's own case."

She waited for Ziva's expression to change then continued, "Given your reason for even calling her on business, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you tracked him down and got him. Which meant I did not have much time to get to you. My being here is strictly off the record. Only Paza knows I am here and why. The beauty of my new position at Mossad is that I am not tied to a schedule nor do I have anyone to actually answer to. I have only come to give Israel peace of mind and to make sure that you and your family are okay."

Ziva smiled, "thank you Orli, we are fine now that we have Tali back. And you won't need to question Benjamin. The man that broke him out of prison three years ago is in the second interrogation room. Agent McGee has been questioning him for a little while now. But, just like Benjamin, he will pay for his crimes on US soil before Mossad gets anywhere near taking him to Israel."

"Oh, I am sure that neither of them will make it back to Israel. If you are anything like your father, rest his soul, you will see to it that they do not have the opportunity to see daylight again."

"You are right", she smirked, "but I will give you a chance to gather whatever information you need to give to Mossad before I do away with them."

"Thank you Ziva." She cleared her throat, "but before we continue on with business, I must check-in to my hotel and rest a little. That ride from Tel Aviv is longer than I remember and I am tired. This old woman needs a nap and I will return later in the afternoon."

"Of course, I understand. Please, be safe, and call me when you are on your way back." With that, Orli hugged Ziva once more and began to make her way down the hall and out of sight. When Ziva turned back to re-enter the room, she noticed McGee standing at the other end of the hall looking at her quizzically. She shook her head, "Yes Tim?"

He walked up, closing the distance between them. "Was that Orli", he asked in a whisper with his eyebrow raised.

"Yes it was", she answered plainly.

"As in former Director of Mossad, Orli?" He tilted his head in more confusion.

Ziva shook her head again, "Yes Tim, why?"

"Well ... I mean, that's the last person I'd be expecting to see walking the halls of NCIS", he answered honestly.

"Yes, me too. But don't worry, she is on our side with this and Mossad will be as well." She stared at the dumbfounded look that intensified on his face then chuckled, "Tim, really, Orli is good people and has been since she took Tali for me and brought her to Tony, 15 years ago. I trust her with my life and her visit is strictly focused on getting information to feed to Mossad as they are searching for Benjamin."

"How does Mossad know we have him?"

"You sound like me a few minutes ago", she rubbed her forehead and sighed. "They do not know, at least not yet. They are, however, searching for him and when I made contact with my friend there about him kidnapping Tali, she told the only other person we both trust ..."

"Which is Orli", McGee was catching on. "So Orli, being one of few people who knows almost everything about you, figured that you'd track him down sooner or later before Mossad ever could?"

"Precisely, but we can talk about all this later. I am sure you did not leave out of your own interrogation just to spy and pry, yes?"

McGee nodded, "right, Amadi just confessed to being behind the setup for Hunter and Tali to be kidnapped. He's also ready to break on why he's setup terrorist attacks to hit the major agencies."

"Ready to break", Ziva asked in an annoyed tone. "Why are you out here talking to me if he has not broken yet?"

"Well, that's the issue ..."

"What is the issue McGee", she interrupted while raising her voice, "you press him until he breaks. Your interrogation was not interrupted so there should be no issues!"

He sighed, "Ziva, relax. There's no need to be in angry Mossad ninja mode alright? I'm just saying that he no longer wants to speak to me, he wants to speak to you and you only."

Ziva rolled her eyes then took a deep breath to calm herself down. "What is hw playing at?"

"I don't know, but he's not budging anymore. I'll go in with you, but he specifically requested that you be the one he told his grand plan to."

"Fine", she sighed, "Let's go."

* * *

.

* * *

At the hospital, Tony and Tali were watching a movie while Anthony took another day out with Gibbs. It was one of Tali's all time favorite princess movies, and Tony smiled in delight as he watched her giggle like she was a toddler again.

 _My sweet little Talikins._

He couldn't help but wonder how long the movie marathon would distract her from all the pain and hurt that was faintly hidden behind her current smile. Knowing, eventually, she would have to address the hurt in order to heal, Tony wondered if she'd be strong enough.

 _Of course she will, Tali's just like her mother ... hopefully she just won't have to disappear for three years in order to do it._

His thoughts, however, were brought short as Dr. Copeland entered the room seemingly abrupt. Tony and Tali both looked up at her confused

Sensing her own demeanor, the doctor took a deeo breath and apologized, "sorry for barging in, I was hoping Agent DiNozzo would still be here. There's been a change in Officer Amadi's condition."

"Hunter?" Tali sat up straight and looked in panic. Tony noticed her mood shift and reached for her hand but she moved it away quickly. "What's wrong with him?"

Dr. Copeland looked to Tony, who nodded for her to speak. "Well, Officer Amadi has woken up from his coma but, he has severe memory loss and is experiencing trauma that we haven't really seen before which is causing him to act out."

"What do you mean by 'act out' doc", Tony asked concerned.

"He's violent and combative", she paused to gauge their reaction then continued, "we don't really know how to handle him. He's been partly sedated for now but he will wake up soon. His doctor and I both agree that it may be too dangerous to fully sedate him given the nature of his head trauma. We do not want to induce another coma."

"Let me talk to him ..."

"What? Tali, no! Absolutely not", Tony ordered.

"Abba please! I can help him", Tali cried then looked at Dr. Copeland, "please, I know I can help him."

Dr. Copeland looked deep into Tali's eyes, "how do you know?"

"We just escaped from the same hell. We witnessed each other's torture. He needs someone who understands how his brain is working right now and I'm that someone", Tali spoke confidently.

"Although it is against my better judgment", the doctor admitted, "it does make sense, and it could possibly work."

"Um, did you NOT just hear me", Tony interrupted their exchange. "I said no, as in NO! You're injured Tali and he probably doesn't even remember you. You could get hurt even more."

Tali started getting off her bed, completely ignoring her father's orders, "Dr. Copeland, if you remove this annoying IV, you and the agents outside can escort me to Hunter. I can help him."

"Tali, you are not leaving this room", Tony shouted again, trying to get through to her. _Maybe she is too much like Ziva._

"No offense abba, but you can't really stop me. Plus, I have to do this."

Tony shook his head and sighed deeply. "Why", he asked sharply.

"Because", her suddenly watery eyes locked onto his, "Hunter nearly died trying to save me in that cell. I owe him."

"And this is your screwed up way of repaying a debt, putting yourself in harms way", Tony countered.

Tali chuckled, "you can ground me later for this but, you of all people should understand my logic right now dad ... it's just like Somalia, only Hunter is his own captor right now and he needs to be saved from himself. I can save him, just let me try."

 _Oh she's definitely going to be grounded ... maybe for the rest of her life ... but she could be right._ Tony shook his head again, "fine, you can go, but if anything happens to you I will ..."

"Personally kill Hunter yourself, I know", she interrupted. "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."

* * *

.

* * *

Ziva cleared her throat as she leaned against the glass in interrogation while McGee took his seat across from Director Amadi.

"I thought I made it clear that I only wanted to speak with Agent DiNozzo", Amadi spoke arrogantly.

"That's not how this works", Ziva responded. "Agent McGee stays while you say whatever it is you need to say."

The South African laughed then looked at her menacingly, "afraid to be alone with me, just like your little girl?"

Ziva started to charge towards him but McGee stopped her. "On the contrary", McGee explained, "I'm afraid if I leave her alone with you she will kill you. I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now Director, so I'd advise you to play nice and leave my neice out if the conversation when Ziva is in the room ... unless, of course, you have a death wish. If you do then, by all means, I will see myself out. Your choice!"

Director Amadi looked on, completely at a loss for words as Ziva regained her rationale and went back to her quiet stance against the glass. McGee retook his seat and raised his eyebrow as a signal for Amadi to talk.

After a few more moments of silence, he began, "You Americans are so arrogant and think you are so privileged while the war in Africa grows more horrific by the day. Your troops have not seen the real fight. Yes, you have tens of thousands of soldiers over there but more are needed. You have chosen to have a blind eye to what real war is. It has been centuries since your country has seen war on its own soil. I plan to change that. You will feel the same wrath that my people do every day and ..."

"Hold on", McGee interrupted, "the point of us signing a deal with you was to help your people in their fight. We have been the ones coming to your aide for sometime now. If it wasn't for us, your entire country would have been taken over by now."

"Is that what you think? Hmm, I only signed that deal to make you feel secure. Truthfully, I could careless about what is happening in the motherland right now. My real target has always been this country. Once I got the politicians to believe that northern Africa was threatening the way of life for our people, it was easy to incite war there. Oh, but how much easier will it be to bring peace between both sides and focus on the common enemy?"

McGee looked at his in confusion but Ziva caught on quickly. "You purposely started a war between two nations so you could end it and have those nations attack the US?"

"Very smart Agent DiNozzo", Amadi smiled at her.

"I'm lost", McGee admitted. "How exactly were you planning to make that happen?"

Ziva sighed, "By using America's history against itself. Our nation has always been perceived as the powerhouse, but only because we've exploited the goods and materials from the various African nations in order to be the best ..."

"Precisely", Amadi interrupted to continue explaining. "But when the powerhouse is weaken, and my people see that we can overthrow you all to become a powerful nation once more, they will gladly stop their fight on homeland and bring it here. Destroying everything you love and hold dear. Just as your government has done to us."

McGee rubbed his temples as a sharp pain ripped through his head. "I'm getting a migraine and you are going back to lockup. Your plan is done. We have you so there's no way to carry it out now."

He stood to remove Amadi from the room and have him returned to his holding cell but paused when Amadi spoke directly to Ziva again, "Nothing is done. You think my men were only in that warehouse? Foolish! We are everywhere! Just because I am here does not mean they will stop. The day of reckoning will soon be upon NCIS and all of the US government."

"Enough", Ziva yelled, "get him out of here!"

"You will wish to speak to me again Agent DiNozzo! We are not through", Amadi yelled as McGee pushed him out of the door and into the hall. "The Tribe will rise!"

Ziva listened until Amadi's shouts were muted once he was completely carried away. She finally sat in one of the chairs and let out a deep sigh.

 _I thought all this was over. Now I have to search for The Tribe? I don't even know who they are .. Get it together, you will get Amadi to talk later. You need a break._

Shaking her head, Ziva pulled out her phone to check in on Tony and Tali. To her surprise, Tony answered on the first ring.

 _"Hey my sexy darling wife, how's it going? We really miss you over here. Still coming back for lunch?"_

Tony's voice sounded strange and Ziva quickly picked up in it, "what happened to Tali?"

He let out a nervous chuckle, " _what? Nothing! Why would you even ..."_

"Tony we have been married for too long for me not to know when you are covering up for one of our children. Now, since Anthony is with Gibbs, I know something is up with Tali. You have five seconds to tell the truth."

 _"Babe, really, everything is fine."_

"Four ..."

 _"I'm serious, we're all good",_ he continued to try to convince her.

"Three ..."

 _"Zi, come on! I'm not covering for Tali and nothing happened."_

"Anthony DiNozzo, Jr ... TWO!"

 _"Okay, okay",_ he finally conceded. _"Hunter woke up but he has severe memory loss and is being extremely combative, Tali decided it was her obligation to go and try to help him remember so the doctors wouldn't have to put him back in a coma."_

"WHAT!?" The sound of Ziva's voice made Tony cringe on the other end of the phone. "Why the hell would you let her go Tony!? She could get hurt! Or it could trigger her own psyche about what happened! Are you insane!?"

 _"Zi, please, I thought and said the same thing but our child is just like her mother .. stubborn as all hell. Plus, she didn't go alone. The doc is with her and two agents as well."_

"I am coming back now!" Ziva stood and exited the room to head out while still reprimanding Tony, "This is utterly stupid! How could you even let it happen!?"

 _"Well, she kind of made a valid point to convince me",_ Tony laughed at the throught of his daughter's genius that got him to cave.

Ziva, however, did not find anything amusing, "this is NOT funny Tony! And there is no point that can be made to justify allowing her to negate her own need to heal just to go into a room with a boy that will probably not remember her and definitely might hurt her ... ugh! Hold on!" She moved the phone from her ear and placed it on speaker when she made it to the squadroom and saw McGee had made it back to his desk. "Tim, I need you to come with me to the hospital."

Seeing that his friend looked like she was ready to rip someone's head off, McGee asked, "Is everything okay?"

"No, it is not okay because Tony is an idiot", she yelled into the phone.

 _"Hey, I'm not an idiot! Probee dont listen to her, she would have done the same thing I did if Tali had said what she said to her!"_

"Dammit Tony, you have to stop letting her have her way with everything! We will discuss this when I get there!"

Before Tony could utter another word, Ziva hungup the phone. McGee followed behind as she walked to the elevator and got in.

As it started to descend, he looked at her, "so, care to explain why Tony's an idiot this time?"

"He let Tali go see Hunter Amadi, who is now awake in his hospital room being combative with severe memory loss."

McGee's eyes widened in disbelief then he shook his head, "yup, definite idiot."

* * *

 **Next chapter up TOMORROW . . promise!**

 **\- Chide**


	27. Love Kept Them Alive

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXVII - Love Kept Them Alive

* * *

Twenty minutes into sitting by his bedside, Tali froze as she realized the 19 year old soldier was finally starting to wake up again from his earlier sedation. What would she say? She had no idea, but she hoped he wouldn't explode on her as he had apparently done with the doctors before. Her fingers were intertwined with his and, when she felt him squeeze gently, she smiled while finally letting out the breath that she had been holding in upon his first movement.

Hunter opened his eyes slowly and looked towards her. His face contorted in confusion when his eyes locked on hers. There was some part of him that knew she was familiar but another part that really didn't recognize her at all.

"Who are you", he asked in a groggy tone, still trying to fully wake up.

She smiled sweetly, "I'm just a concerned friend."

Hunter tried to sit up but then realized his fingers were laced with hers. He looked down at both their bruised hands then back up at her, "just a friend? You're pretty cute, you sure you're not my girlfriend? Pretty sure you're my type."

Tali giggled at his confused confession, "I'm sure that I'm just a friend. My name is Tali DiNozzo ... I know you probably don't remember me but I remember you and what you did for me."

"What I did", his confusion grew more by the second but there was something in her touch that made him stay calm. "What exactly did I do?"

"You risked your own life to try to keep me safe", she explained. "I owe you ... more than you know."

Hunter shook his head, "I barely remember anything ... why can't I remember?"

"You were hurt pretty badly", Tali sighed. "It might be hard, but can you tell me what you do remember? Maybe I can help you fill in the blanks."

He was silent for a moment. Trying to process what he did remember and trying even harder to keep his cool as he was starting to get angry with himself for not remembering. He let go of her hand to rub his face. After a few more moments he finally spoke, "I remember flying to the States to prepare for my first mission. I had to learn about an agency and help put together some contract ... maybe something for peace or allyship ... not really sure. There was this guy that wasn't happy with me being on the assignment, but I don't know why. After that, things just get choppy in my head."

"So you remember being on assignment? That means you atleast remember who you are, right?"

Hunter nodded with confidence, "yes, I am Officer Hunter Amadi of the South African Secret Service."

"Good, and the assignment you were on, do you know the name of the agency you had to work with?"

"Um, something to do with the Navy .. Naval something something Service."

Tali giggled again. "It's okay, no one ever really remembers the name. Not even Americans", she joked which made him smile slightly. "It's NCIS- Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"Yeah that", Hunter chuckled. "So, do you work there? Were we on assignment together?"

She shook her head fervently, "Nope! I'm too young for one and my parents would NEVER let me go into law enforcement."

"Your parents", he raised his eyebrow while studying her face. _DiNozzo?_ Something clicked in his head, "your father is the guy that didn't want me to be part of the assignment. He's the director!"

"Yes", Tali exclaimed excitedly. "See, you're starting to remember!"

"I think the contract preparation lasted for about six months ... the whole point was to ... was to um", he paused as his brain got cloudy again. Then his mood shifted and he let out an angry grunt that made Tali flinch. "Dammit, I don't know", he yelled in frustration.

His outburst made the two agents that stood outside enter the room. Tali shooded them away immediately, "everything is fine, you can go back outside." They stood for a moment to really be sure. "GO AWAY", she ordered while almost sounding like Ziva. Her new tone making them swiftly retreat back outside.

Tali turned her attention back to Hunter and carefully rested her hand on his shoulder, "It's okay Hunter, you don't need to remember everything right away. There's no pressure, we're both going to be here for a little anyway. We have time."

Something in her touch again calmed him down. Her voice too was soothing. He was secretly grateful for it and her patience. Deciding that his lack of memory only made him angry, he chose to switch the subject. "So, Tali, that's Hebrew right? Meaning the dew from Heaven?"

Tali smiled shyly and nodded as she welcomed his change of topic, "Yes, I almost forgot you knew Hebrew."

"Yeah, me too", he said jokingly. "You are American though, so how did you come to bare a Hebrew name?"

"Well, actually, I was born Israeli. My mother is from Israel and my father is Italian, although he is American born. As for how I got my name, my mother's younger sister was killed in a bombing when she was very young. To honor her short legacy, being my mother's first born she named me after my aunt. Now that I'm older, I take pride in baring the name of the woman my mother always says was a beautiful soul."

"Wow, that's a beautiful honor and I can see why she named you after her. You are definitely a beautiful soul as well."

Tali couldn't hide the instant blush that rose on her cheeks. _Is he flirting with me?_ This little chat was giving her butterflies for some strange reason and she was rendered speechless by how Hunter had just made her feel.

A comfortable silence fell between them as they both inadvertently got lost in each other's eyes. The moment became too intense for Hunter, however, after a few minutes and he looked away to the clock on the wall.

"I missed Salah twice today", he spoke in a hushed tone absently.

Tali looked at him curiously, "Salah? You're Muslim? That's something you've never told me."

He turned to look back at her, his face resembling her own curious look. "Really? I take great pride in my religion, I'm not sure how that has never come up." He paused to scratch his head, "exactly how long have we known each other?"

"Almost two weeks and, considering the circumstances of how we met, I can understand why it never came up."

"I don't understand, how did we meet?" He noticed the panicked look on Tali's face. "I'm going to assume it wasn't under good circumstances?" She shook her head 'no'. Hunter sighed and took her hand back in his, "it's okay, you can tell me. Promise, I won't get mad."

"You won't be able to keep that promise", she whispered as she looked down at the floor to hide her own pain that was starting to surface. "It's painful, for both of us. I don't know if I'm ready to really talk about it with you."

"Ana nissa Tali."

Tali's head shot up at the use of her native tongue, just as it did that day in their cell when he pleaded with her to eat. The calm that washed over her was evident, and too familiar, to Hunter. His view of her changhed as he tiltled his head.

"I've said that to you before, haven't I?"

"Yeah", she responded quietly, "you have."

He tentatively ran his hand down the side of her face and let it land gently on her shoulder. Finding his confidence again when she smiled, he gave her a reassuring squeeze and repeated his plea, "ana nissa".

Tali took a deep breath and began telling their story, "we were kidnapped. This guy who called himself Lucifer took us. First you and then me. The day we met was my first day in the cell that he named 'Hell'. You had already been beaten up pretty badly and I ..."

"You used part of your shirt to wrap my head because it was bleeding", Hunter finished as the image flashed through his head when he closed his eyes.

"Yes. We were tortured together after that. He made us watch each other's beatings. Yours were worse than mine", she paused when Hunter opened his eyes again and she saw the same sorrowful look he had given her the first time their captor was physical with her.

"I think mine may have started out worse, but what he did to you ... that's why you said I risked my life trying to keep you safe ... what he did", suddenly Hunter started to cry.

The involuntary tears angering him but Tali noticed it quickly and started to console him, "shh, its okay. You don't need to cry or be angry Hunter. It wasn't your fault."

"Ugh", he grunted then winced in pain as he tried to shift in the bed. "I should have done more", he cried out in agony. "I should of never let him focus on you ... I'm so sorry."

Hunter was breaking down and all Tali could do was wipe his tears as he went through the process of everything flooding back to his memory. His eyes snapped shut as he saw the images unfold as if it were reality again. His breathing became labored and rage started to rise within him.

The monitors that kept track of his vitals started to signal the elevation in his heart rate. Tali knew she had to quickly get him to calm down or else his doctors would come back and sedate him again.

She stood and, without hesitation, took him in her arms as best she could without making his injuries worse. Gently, she began rocking him and started to sing one of her favorite Hebrew lullabies. Instantly, he started to ease his breathing and settle into her embrace.

Neither of them had noticed that Ziva was standing in the doorway and had signalled to the doctors that everything was fine. She watched on, with something resembling pride, as her little girl didn't look to be so little anymore. _She loves him._

After a few moments, she quietly left and went back to the floor where Tony and McGee were waiting in the family's private room. Upon her return, the laughter between the two men ceased.

Tony cleared his throat, "so, how much trouble am I in?"

Ziva glared at him for a second then her resolve changed. She smiled and lightly chuckled, "none."

"Excuse me, none?" Tony looked at McGee who shrugged and then turned back to his wife, "I expected to see my little ninja come in with her blade drawn."

"Maybe I am losing my touch ... just this one time though. The next time you allow her to pull a stunt like this, I will castrate you."

"Hey hey! That's a little much don't ya think!"

Ziva rolled her eyes and kissed his lips sweetly, "maybe it is, but I refuse to admit that you were right, so threatening you seems to be my only weapon right now."

Tony flashed his biggest smile, "Aha! So you think I was right to let her go?"

"No, I still think you are an idiot ..."

"Buuuttttt", he coaxed her on.

"But you may have been right", she mumbled quietly as she rolled her eyes.

Tony laughed, "I will take that Mrs. DiNozzo!"

McGee couldn't help but laugh as well. His two best friends had always brought him joy, this moment was no different. He did, however, feel a little concern about what was happening on the floor below them. "So, what is actually going on between Tali and Hunter?"

"Uhh, Probee, you're kind of making it sound like my little girl is dating the young spy boy", Tony joked.

"They may actually be dating soon", Ziva said seriously.

"WHAT!?" Tony and McGee both shouted in unison as their eyes darted towards Ziva.

"You both heard me very well. I will not repeat myself", she responded sternly as she finally took a seat next to McGee by Tony's bed.

"Wait", McGee started, "I never meant to make it sound like they were dating, but you seem very serious Zi."

"Yeah, a little too serious", Tony agreed.

"You did not see how they reacted to each other when Tali drew Hunter's memory back about what happened to them", she explained. "We have to accept that Tali will be 18 in another year and certain traumas bring two people closer together. Maybe even draw them to love. Just like ours did."

Tony nodded in agreement, "hmph, I get it now. I don't agree with her dating anyone but I do get your point."

"Yeah", McGee agreed as well as he looked between the two lovers. He knew their story all too well. It was something he admired the most about them. That in the intense stuggles and traumatic moments they shared through life, love was born and love kept them alive.

* * *

 **Okay so this wasn't really the chapter I had prepared for today BUT it just felt right to have some lesser drama filled moments. The next chapter will be packed with A LOT ..**

 **1\. Orli gets her shot.**

 **2\. Hunter remembers the truth about his father.**

 **3\. Tony gets out of the hospital.**

 **BONUS: Classic Gibbs content!**

 **Review! Review! REVIEW!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	28. Powerful Asset

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **Lonnngggg Chapter ...**

 **Enjoy and review!**

Chapter XXVIII - Powerful Asset

* * *

An hour later, after more conversation and another dose of pain meds, Hunter had fallen asleep and Tali was brought back to her room. It was quiet, except for the sound of the TV, as Ziva helped her back into bed silently then went to take her seat back by Tony. Neither parent said a word, which made Tali very uneasy.

 _I know abba told her where I was, so why isn't ima spazzing on me?_

She stared at them intensely, but they ignored her stares by going back to looking at the movie they had been watching before her return. Their choice to ignore her, only making her even more surprised.

 _By now, ima would have totally went in on me ... maybe he didn't tell her?_

Resolving in her mind that everything was all good, Tali laid back and got comfortable in her bed. Just as she was getting into the movie that was playing, Ziva broke the silence between all of them.

"So how is Officer Amadi", she asked without looking directly at her first born.

 _And here it comes._

Tali looked over at her mother and waited for her to look back, but she never did. The teen sighed and gave a quick response, "he's okay."

"Just okay? You two seemed awfully emotional and wrapped into each other when I left. With everything that was going on, I expected you back later than this." Ziva's response made both Tali and Tony look at her confused. She had never mentioned to Tony that there was an emotional exchange and she had never announced herself before for Tali to know that she was there. "What? You think I would not have watched to protect you from someone who has memory loss and could get violent?"

"You were there", Tali asked in almost a whisper.

"Yes, I was for a little while until I realized that you had the situation under control."

"What situation", Tony chimed in, finally wanting the details of the exchange.

Tali shrugged, "there was no 'situation'. Hunter and I just talked."

"There was DEFINITELY a situation. The Officer was about to become combative again, but you noticed the trigger and shut it down before he could get too far gone", Ziva explained with a smirk. "I am actually proud of how you calmly you handled it. You reminded me of your father and I, a little."

"Wait, why was he about to get combative", the concerned father needed more details. "Did he try something with you?"

"Dad, it was nothing, really." Tali tried to brush it off and change the topic as the thought of Hunter was producing the same butterflies as before, "so, what's this movie about?"

"Oh no no no, someone is going to tell me what happened with spy boy and my little girl", Tony demanded in a huff.

Ziva chuckled and looked directly at Tali, "would you like to tell abba of how you triggered his memory and sung to him or shall I?"

"Mooommmmmm", the teen whined in embarrassment. "Can we just drop it? It wasn't a big deal. He just needed someone to help him remember and stay calm. That's it, that's all."

Just then, Ziva's cell began to ring. _Oh thank God!_ Tali smirked as she knew it meant her mother would need to drop the topic and go back to work.

Before Ziva left to take the call though, she looked back at Tali, "tell your father what happened while I am gone." Tali was about to protest again but she cut her off, "no arguments, you should be the one to tell him, not me."

Without another word, Ziva went into the hallway and closed the door behind her. Once she did, she looked at her phone and noticed the number. Just in time, she answered, "Shalom Orli!"

 _"Shalom Ziva, I hope I have not called at a bad time",_ the older woman spoke.

"No, not at all. I am just at the hospital visiting with Tali and Tony before I head back to the Navy Yard ..."

 _"Oh my dear, I have certainly interrupted then",_ she said apologetically. _"If it is alright with you, I feel no need to rush with doing an interrogation knowing that you are with family now, can we hold off on my return to NCIS until tomorrow?"_

Ziva smiled at Orli's compassion and decided to lay out a different compromise. "You are still so kind Orli, thank for being patient. If you would like, Agent McGee is back at headquarters and he can assist you in whatever you need. I am sure that my family would love to see you, so you can do the interrogations today and then tomorrow you could spend the day with us. Tony is expected to be released in this evening and Tali may be able to come home tomorrow, so we'd be back at our house for the first time in two weeks. I'd love to have you over and be able to enjoy part of your visit."

" _That does sound nice. Alright then, please alert Agent McGee that I am heading to him now and I will see you tomorrow sweet Ziva. Shalom dear."_

"Shalom", Ziva ended the call and sent a quick text to McGee who responded back immediately: _'Got it, call you after Orli gets finished.'_ With that, she returned to Tony and Tali who were in the middle of a seemingly heated discussion.

"How can you even say that? You don't know him at all!" Tali's face was red, as it usually was when she was furiously angry.

 _What did I just walk into? I was only gone five minutes._

Whatever Tony had just said must have set her off. Ziva wasn't sure how to approach the situation without knowing both sides, so she just stood for a moment and watched their interaction. It was hard to though, as her husband seemed to shut down and did not immediately respond to their daughter's question. Still, she waited to try to figure out what was going on.

 _Maybe I should not have told her to speak with him ..._

"I can't believe you could be so rude", Tali continued after Tony was silent for a moment too long for her liking. "Just because his father is a class 'A' douchebag, doesn't mean Hunter will turn out that way! He's a nice guy and without him, I'd be dead! He saved me!"

 _Oh, this is not at good._

"Correction, your mother saved you and without an NCIS investigation to track you, you'd be dead! He did not save you and this little 'friendship' you say you have ends today. I don't want my daughter associated with someone like him!"

 _Okay Ziva, now you need to say something._

She stepped further in to speak, but Tali beat her to it. The 17 year old was furious. "You don't know ANYTHING! You weren't there! I should have died a week ago but Hunter made sure I was safe! He's the only reason I kept fighting to stay alive, and you have the nerve to question his motives? I could have sworn that yesterday YOU said that Hunter's debriefing was the only reason why mom and Uncle Tim knew to look in a different direction that ultimately led them to me. So, TECHNICALLY, it was still Hunter who saved me! How can you be such a hypocrite now?"

Tony looked in the direction of the door to finally acknowledge that he knew Ziva was in the room. He glared at her fiercely. His eyes speaking silent words that she'd better say something to their daughter before he really said something she didn't like. On the contrary, Ziva's eyes pleaded with him to calm down and try to work it this out. The silent struggle went on for a few minutes, until Tali broke it again.

"Ugh! Would you please just say something!? I know there's still some other jerk thing you want to say! Just get it out, after what Lucifer did to me, I can take whatever nonsense you have to say", she paused as her voice cracked then sighed. "I thought you always had my back, guess not."

 _She's going to cry ..._

And just like clockwork, knowing her child's tones, Ziva's thought came to fruition. Tali brokedown in tears. Her cries made Tony snap out of his angered haze and his heart broke that he was the one to make her cry. For, quite frankly, no reason at all. She was right, he didn't know Hunter and he was in no position to try to compare him to his terrorist father. Honestly, his only reason for being so rude was because he saw the look on Tali's face when she spoke about the young man. It was almost like looking at Ziva and it scared him. After what Ziva had mentioned earlier about dating soon and being brought together by their traumas, it was just too much. The thought of his babygirl becoming an independent woman with fierce emotions scared him. Up until now, she never really showed interest in the opposite sex, at least not like the way she did just a few minutes ago. He panicked and tried to scare her away from Hunter, not because of who his father was, but because it actually seemed like he had a chance of taking his little girl away. Now, to make matters worse, she was questioning his loyalty to her. It wounded him deeply.

Ziva shook her head in disapproval at him as she crossed the room to console Tali. She whispered something in Tali's ear and Tony watched as Tali seemed to smile through her tears while nodding in approval. It was then that Ziva whispered something else. After a minute or two, Tali regained her composure and stood up from her bed.

"Wait for me outside motek", Ziva spoke softly after wiping away the last tear. The teen exited quietly without even looking in Tony's direction. Ziva, however, went straight to him and let out a deep sigh. She saw the look in his eye that he was trying to figure out what to say. There was no need to figure out anything though, once she began talking, "Do not speak, only listen. I am taking our daughter to the cafeteria for ice cream and then we are going to visit her friend. You will call Gibbs and Anthony so they can come back and help you get cleaned up for your release this evening. While you wait for them, you will figure out how to fix the damage you caused to our, already highly emotional, extremely sensitive, and still very much mentally wounded, daughter. You have screwed up big time, Tony. I get that you might have been playing 'overprotective dad', but you crossed a line in making Tali feel like you could not support her. Even if you do not agree, there is a way to explain that without defaming the character of the only person she feels connected to in her time of healing."

She paused to make sure he was understanding. After he nodded, she continued, "When we first met, you had every right to judge me and not to trust me based off the character of Ari and my father. But in this case, you have no right to judge and not trust Hunter based off of who his father is. He's a hurting victim, and so is Tali. Right now, they are all each other have and that is all I have to say. We will see you later."

There was nothing left for Tony to do as he watched his love walk out the door but to follow her instructions. Once again, Ziva proved to be right. And so, without further delay, he grabbed his phone and did as he was told. Silently praying that his surrogate father, Gibbs, could give him some advice again when he got there.

* * *

.

* * *

Back at the Navy Yard, McGee and Bishop stood at the plasma screen with Abby in the squad room. Abby was thoroughly explaining how the jammers had worked so well during their warehouse raids and showing them her technique on how to remotely deactivate them in case they ever came across them again.

Little did they know, Orli was standing behind them and it startled them completely when she spoke, "That device was built by Mossad and there is an easier way to deactivate it."

The three turned around and Abby was the first to greet her in a hug. "Wow, Orli, you look great. It's so good to see you, does Ziva know that you're ..."

"Ziva knows", McGee interrupted as he went to shake the elderly woman's fragile hand. "Nice to see you, Orli."

"It is good to be seen Agent McGee, Abby", she paused and smiled pleasantly at Bishop who returned her smile. "And you, as well, Agent Bishop." Orli slowly made her way to the screen and pointed at a spot on the device photo. "That sensor can pick up and block anything within a 50 mile radius. If, for some odd reason, you come across this device again then you need to simply access the Mossad database and enter the code '73Z5' into the fixed signal."

Everyone looked at her confused. Abby spoke what they were all thinking, "how are we supposed to 'simply access the Mossad database' to enter the code?"

Orli let out a faint chuckle, "oh Abby, as if you or Agent McGee could not use your skills to access our database. You have done it plenty of times in years passed." They stared blankly at her knowledge of their hacking. "Do not worry, I am the only one, the wiser, who has known about your snooping from time to time. It is okay. What troubles me is how you came to have one of those in your possession?" She turned to McGee, "I do believe Ziva has informed you on why I have come, but I would like to know why you have that device?"

McGee nodded, "Yes, she has ... and uh, thanks for the tip ... and the discretion. As for the jammer, we have more than one and we got them from the hideouts of the terrorists that kidnapped Tali. So, how did these guys manage to get Mossad equipment? I've seen your headquarters, it couldn't have been an easy task to steal them."

She took a seat at McGee's desk, "I hope you do not mind. I am not as young as I used to be." He nodded his approval of her choice to sit at his desk and waited for her to answer his question. "Toda! Now to answer your question, those devices were not taken from Mossad headquarters. We released a few to an agency in South Africa several months ago. As far as I knew, they are still in possession of the devices. Mossad has not been alerted to the equipment being stolen from them, if it was."

"This South African agency", Bishop finally spoke, "it wouldn't happen to be SASS would it?"

Orli looked at her astonished, "Yes, it was. Their Director is an old friend, why?" Everyone was silent and averted their eyes from her. It didn't take long for her to figure out why the sudden uncomfortable silence had come. Orli sighed, "Mohammed Amadi is behind all this horror with Tali, yes? And he is the one who broke that sick terrorist, Benjamin, out of my prison?"

They all nodded simultaneously. McGee knelt down to meet her eye to eye, "Orli, please don't take offense but I have to ask, was Mossad aware of anything that Amadi had planned? Were they part of this?"

She glared at him but soon her expression changed to one of disbelief. "I must say, I am offended slightly but I understand your need to ask so I will answer you honestly. The Mossad that was once under Eli's control, before he realized he needed to focus on the family he had left, may have been part of this." She stopped momentarily to take a few deep breaths. The thought of what would have formerly been true took a small toll on her mind. After getting herself together mentally, she cleared her throat and continued on, "However, the Mossad of today would NEVER be part of something so heinous. If we had been aware, Ziva and NCIS would have been notified. There is nothing but love and respect for Ziva, the last standing of the David name, within our agency now and we would never do anything to harm her or her family. I assure you, Agent McGee, Mossad had no parts. And given this new information, I will personally make sure that Israel removes any and all help that has been gifted to Amadi's agency. You have my word."

"Thank you Orli, but I don't know if SASS is really who we should be looking at in all of this. It may only be Director Amadi and a different organization", McGee admitted when his thoughts went to Amadi's earlier outburst. "Does a group named 'The Tribe' sound familiar to you at all?"

Orli's eyes widened when he spoke the name, "yes it does, but I do not know the group, only a classified intel file folder. Understand, I am only a consultant on old cases and ops these days so anything knewly classified I am not usually read into unless I am asked to be. However, I can give you the contact information for someone at Mossad who can give you all the details."

McGee smiled, "that would be great. We could use the help." He stood and looked at his team as Orli started writing the information they'd need, "Bishop, go MTAC to see if you can get through on a video conference to Orli's contact. This is new and sensitive information regarding a terrorist plot on our soil, so I only want information shared inside MTAC or a SCIF from here on out. Abs, since we basically have Mossad's permission to access their database, you go try to see if you can track down any of the jammers given to SASS that may have made their way to the DC area. If we can get a read on any others, besides the ones in evidence, then we may have a lead on where anyone else who is working for Amadi is located. We may have him here, but he has others still doing his dirty work and I know they have to be in DC."

"You got it Tim", Abby responded and swiftly wandered off to go to her lab.

Orli finished writing the information that Bishop needed and handed it to her. "When you reach Paza, tell her that you are calling on behalf of myself and Ziva. She will make you verify that so, when she asks about the op that the three of us worked together, your response will be that word on the bottom of the paper. Please destroy that paper once you have made contact."

"Yes ma'am", Bishop nodded and looked at McGee, "where will you be after I finish?"

"Orli and I will be in Interrogation 2 with Benjamin and Amadi."

Bishop raised her eyebrow, "you're putting them together?"

"It goes against rule one", McGee stated ironically, "but I have a feeling that when they both see Orli, it might make them flip on each other a little faster and we might get more out of them without actually having to ask too many questions."

"I get it, make them argue and suddenly everything comes out in the open?"

"Exactly! Now get to MTAC and get us that intel", McGee gave his finally order and Bishop walked off to complete her new assignment. He offered his arm to Orli and helped her stand from her seated position. With a smile, he looked down at her fragile frame and asked, "shall we?"

Orli returned his smile and nodded, "lead the way!"

* * *

.

* * *

They had been sitting in the cafeteria for over an hour. Deciding that they both should have lunch first, they had healthy salads and then finally got ice cream. They chatted about shopping, the next family vacation, Tali and Anthony's return to school, Tali's college plans, and about their plans for when they finally got to go back to their home tomorrow. While discussing going back home, Tali's mood suddenly changed. She went from smiling and laughing to looking nervous and unsure. Ziva couldn't tell if she was scared to return because of being kidnapped from her room, or if there was something else on her daughter's mind entirely. Not wanting to assume, Ziva asked her what was going on and waited patiently for her to respond.

After letting out an exasperated sigh, Tali focused on the remaining ice cream in front of her and spoke, "do you think abba is right about him?"

Knowing the topic would come up eventually, Ziva shook her head and took a moment to process her answer. She didn't want to apologize for Tony's remarks. No, that was a job for her husband to do on his own. But she didn't want Tali to second guess her defense either. Trying to remain neutral, Ziva countered with a question back, "do you think you are wrong?"

Tali finally looked back up and adamantly shook her head 'no'. "I wasn't wrong. Maybe I could have said it more respectfully and with less attitude, but I know I'm not wrong."

"Okay", Ziva nodded, "then there is no reason for you to question whether or not your father is right. But, you will need to speak with him eventually. That conversation is not over."

She sighed, "I know ... I just don't want him to judge Hunter because of his father. I've met them both, and they are nothing alike .. well, except for the eyes .. but, other than that, Hunter is totally different. He's kind and honest and super intelligent and strong and protective and ..."

"And you have a crush on him, yes?"

Tali scoffed and tried to hide her rosey cheeks as she looked down at the now empty ice cream cup. "I do NOT have a crush on him. We're just friends and that's all we will ever be."

"Mmhmm", she smirked, "so why are you blushing?" The teen looked up at her and rolled her eyes. Ziva laughed and continued, "motek, it is okay if you have a crush on him. I will not tell your father. Hunter is a handsome young man, I would think it to be weird if you did not think he was."

Tali shyly smiled, "he is definitely handsome, I will give him that. I guess I'm not sure if I have a crush or not really. I mean, boys really aren't my thing."

"Are you trying to tell me you are into girls then", Ziva asked with her eyebrow raised, prepared for any truth that would follow. "It is fine if you are, it would certainly explain your lack of interest in going on dates with boys; contrary to most girls your age."

"Ima no", Tali giggled, "I'm not a lesbian. I just don't have time for boys. The guys at my school are so immature. It's just a totally ..."

"Turn off", she finished and Tali nodded. "I understand, but you said you were not sure about Hunter so, what makes you unsure?"

"I don't know", she shrugged. "He's basically this cool smooth teenage spy and I'm just a high school preppy nerd. I doubt I'd ever be his type. Plus, we didn't meet under normal circumstances and we're both pretty broken. But then again, even in this brokenness, he makes me feel like my broken pieces can be mended back together. I got butterflies earlier when we talked and he gave me all this hope that the future is brighter than our past. I don't worry about my scars or wounds being exposed to him because he's already seen the most horrible points of my life and, still, he thinks I am a beautiful soul."

Ziva was at a loss for words. This doe-eyed teen before her seemed to have more than just a crush. _Tali is absolutely love struck._ She flashed a sincere smile and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Dr. Copeland walking up to them.

"Agent DiNozzo and Tali, hey! I've been looking for the both of you."

"Well", Ziva smiled, "you have found us! Is everything alright?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to check on Tali and also say thank you on behalf of myself and Dr. Shaw for whatever you managed to do to get Officer Amadi to relax. He's responding positively to us now."

"It was no biggie", Tali spoke in a humble tone. "I just reminded him that we were safe now and that you guys just want to help."

"Well, your voice is what did the trick. Hopefully your parents would be willing to allow you to come visit after your discharge tomorrow. We could use your help throughout the duration of his recovery with us."

Both Dr. Copeland and Tali looked to Ziva for approval. _Not if Tony doesn't get his head straight._ She saw the pleading look in Tali's eyes. The one thing the teen had mastered was her father's puppy dog expression when she really wanted something. _Dammit Ziva, are you caving?_ The mother nodded slightly, "I will have to speak with Tony, but I would be willing to bring her if it helps Officer Amadi."

Tali squealed and jumped up to hug her mother, "thanks Ima! You're the best!"

"Well, judging by your excitement, I'd say you're doing well", Dr. Copeland noted. "Since you seem to be moving better and very alert right now, do you want to go in to visit with Officer Amadi again now? He asked for you when I left his room a little while ago."

"Mom, can we go now and maybe bring him some ice cream too?"

"We planned to go see him eventually anyway", Ziva spoke, "I guess we can go now. Doctor, it is okay for us to take him ice cream?"

"I don't see why not. I'd say he deserves a sweet reward for his turnaround in the last few hours", she responded. "I will be up to check on you this evening Tali and to bring Director DiNozzo's discharge paperwork. See you later!"

They watched as Dr. Copeland walked off and then Ziva cleared their empty trays off the table. When she returned from the garbage, Tali was already over at the ice cream machine getting Hunter's treat. She smiled and waited for her to finish.

Tali came back with a big serving of vanilla and chocolate swirl. Ziva raised her eyebrow at her. "What", the teen laughed, "it's his fave."

"Mmhmm, I see", Ziva chuckled. "Well, let's take it to him then."

After a few minutes, they got to Hunter's room but stopped short as they crossed the door threshold. Tali placed her finger on her lips to signal Ziva to stay silent. They both watched quietly as Hunter recited prayers in Arabic with his eyes closed. After a few minutes, he finished and sighed with relief.

"Hey Tals, who's your friend", he asked without opening his eyes.

"How ... how did you know I was here", she asked in amazement as they entered completely.

He smirked as he finally opened his eyes, "I could feel you, and please tell me that ice cream is for me!"

Tali giggled, "Yeah, we got your fave." She handed him the ice cream and adjusted his pillow so he could enjoy it comfortably before sitting down. "This is my Ima, by the way, do you remember her?"

"Thanks, and yeah I think I do remember. Agent Ziva DiNozzo, right?"

Ziva smiled, "Yes. It's good to see you, Officer Amadi." She took a seat next to Tali and looked him over, "how are you feeling?"

"Besides the memory loss, I'm feeling pretty good ... especially now with ice cream. The pain from the injuries isn't so bad. Just wish I wasn't all broken up in so many places so I could pray properly", he confessed.

"Hunter is Muslim", Tali explained to her mother. "He is a Hafiz of the Quran, it's pretty special."

"That's an incredible accomplishment for someone so young. I didn't know your family was so religious Hunter." Ziva's comment was sincere but also intentional. Tali had already confirmed with her earlier about Hunter's memory not reaching to the point of his father's involvement yet. She wanted to see if she could jog his memory too.

"Oh, they're not", he said while taking another big spoonful of the delicious ice cream treat into his mouth. After he swallowed he went on to explain, "my parents are only religious in public when it looks good and helps my father make political friends. I'm the only one in the family that actually takes it seriously. One of the best things they ever did when I was a child was send me to a private Islamic school. I know now that it was a power move for them to show me off but from the moment I started learning the Quran, I fell in love with Islam. I believe it's structure is what has made me an exceptional soldier and all around better man."

"See, told you he was inspiring", Tali stated sweetly.

"No Tals, you're the inspiring one. I'm just an ordinary dude, you're the one who's extraordinary", he said flirtatiously causing Tali to blush.

Ziva looked between the two as they got lost in each other's eyes. As cute as it was, she needed to break the moment. "So Hunter, are you planning on going back to being a soldier after you recover? Your assignment with NCIS is technically over since all this mess happened, which means you could return to your work at SASS."

His demeanor instantly changed, "I'm off the assignment? I mean, I knew my being captured might have changed somethings but there's still a war going on so I just assumed I'd still have work to do with NCIS. That sucks."

"Ima, isn't there something you could do to help him keep his position? He can't go back to SASS, not now!"

"The decision isn't really up to me. SASS would have to agree to have him locked in with us. Not to mention, your father has to sign off on it as well, motek", Ziva explained.

Tali sighed in defeat at the thought of Tony's earlier accusations concerning her friend, "then it's definitely not happening."

"Did I miss something", Hunter asked while sitting the empty ice cream container down beside him. He took a moment to assess Tali's facial expression. Something in her look told him that he was forgetting why things seemed so bleak for him. "Why can't I stay and why can't I go back either?"

"It's nothing", Tali responded quickly. She didn't want him to get upset at the moment.

"Come on Tals, you promised to be honest if I got confused or needed help remembering. I need help now", his voice was calm but there was a hint of desperation for the truth the couldn't be ignored.

Ziva gave Tali a look to encourage her to tell him about his father. The teen sighed again and took Hunter's hand to try to keep him calm. "The truth is, there's someone who was part of our kidnapping that you are forgetting about. That person is someone my father no longer trusts and it's also someone that SASS will probably never trust again as well. They had everyone fooled for a long time, but now the truth is out that they've been secretly leading a terrorist organization and plotting against the United States."

"Okay, so what does this persom have to do with me", he asked, still not catching on to the connection. "It's not my fault some person is has horrible ideals and isn't making friends with your dad or mine. The way you're talking, it sounds like the person is affiliated with SASS though. Is that it?"

Tali nodded, "the person is definitely affiliated with SASS and was also working directly with NCIS to draft the ally agreement that you were part of. It has to do a lot with you, considering your DNA."

The use of the words 'your DNA' made Hunter's eyes snap shut. An immediate image of Lucifer standing before him and saying the same words flashed in his head. Then, he saw his debriefing at NCIS and his chat with Tony at the safehouse. He heard the bomb go off and saw the fire in the hallway. The final pieces to the puzzle to came back and hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt like he couldn't breathe, but feeling Tali squeezing his hand brought him back to reality.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, "Allah, please help me."

"What did you see", Ziva asked in a hushed tone.

The young man remained quiet but looked at Tali. His eyes were glazed over with hatred. He shook his head 'no', not wanting to believe what she was insinuating. After locking in on her sad and apologetic eyes, his own hate filled eyes changed to disappointed ones.

He started to tremble as an involuntary tear rolled down his cheek. "My father ... my father is the terrorist leader? He really did set all this up? Lucifer told the truth."

"Hunter I'm so sor ..."

"Please leave", he spoke in a whisper. Cutting off Tali's apology. He didn't want it. There was no need. The emotions going on inside made him feel something he couldn't explain. He wanted no witnesses to this moment. It was time to be alone and process what to do next with his life.

* * *

.

* * *

"I would have never guessed that you would have had a hand in freeing this monster, let alone being fully responsible for all this mess", Orli was coming to the end of her monologue after Amadi had confessed to being the mastermind and described how he had come into employing Benjamin and Torres. "You lied to Mossad and used us to commit acts of terrorism. If the Americans do not do away with you, Israel will gladly string you up and watch you hang."

"Orli, you sound like a bitter old woman. I told you you should have stayed retired. This stress is not worth losing your life over." Amadi's cockiness did not vote over well with the older woman.

While she may have aged through the progression of time, her Mossad skills were still very much so up to par as if she was still in her prime. Everyone in the room with them, which included McGee and Benjamin, looked on in amazement as the salt and pepper haired woman had swiftly slammed the arrogant director's head on the table and twisted his arm behind his back.

"I do not take kindly to threats upon my life Mohammed", she hissed. "You should know this by now." Her grip on his arm tightened as she twisted it further, causing him to yelp. "Now, I would advise you change your tone and choose your words wisely henceforth, unless you want to lose this arm."

"You can't treat me like this", he spoke through gritted teeth.

"I am not an NCIS agent, so I do not have to follow their rules. Now, you will tell Agent McGee what he needs to know and if it is not the truth, I will break this arm."

"I will say nothing! I am invoking my right of diplomatic immunity!"

 _Fuck!_ McGee snapped out of his amazed haze and gently removed Orli's grip from Amadi. He turned her to him and they locked eyes. She silently mouthed for him not to worry then sat down.

"Agent McGee", she spoke confidently, "how long have you had this swine in your custody?"

"A few days" he answered in confusion, not knowing exactly how she was so calm or where she was going with her questioning.

"And in those few days, has he ever mentioned having immunity?"

 _Huh? How did I overlook that?_ McGee shook his head and chuckled, "no, I don't believe he has."

"Then you can wipe the worried look off your face because he has no rights to immunity. He probably did before Ziva confirmed his involvement, but he definitely does not now. That is one part of her training from Mossad that she has never lost, we never let vermin wriggle away." Orli paused and patted the seat next to her for McGee to sit down, which he did. She then leaned in and rested her arms on the table, "since Mohammed does not want to talk, maybe Benjamin will speak his peace."

"Say nothing to this bitch", Amadi ordered.

His outburst making Orli laugh slightly. She leaned back and sighed, "what you fail to realize is that he is more afraid of me than he is you and, in my presence, I am his master. Isn't that right Adolf?"

Benjamin cleared his throat but the tremble could still be heard in his voice, "it's Lucifer now."

"It does not matter what you call yourself. What matters is the next target in which you people have setup?" Orli glared at him and waited for a response but he stayed silent. After another moment, she sighed again and looked to McGee, "I know you planned on keeping them together, but he needs to feel secure and cannot when a man of more power is in the room. I would suggest having Amadi removed for this portion of our conversation."

McGee thought about it for a second but, ultimately, he decided to follow Orli's lead on the matter. She'd gotten more out of them in the last hour than anyone had in their previous attempts. He trusted her judgment and opened the door to have the agents outside remove Amadi. When he was gone, McGee closed the door back and returned to his seat. He respectfully nodded to Orli for her to continue.

"I am no longer interested in taking you back to Israel. With what you did to Tali, the Dinozzo's will make sure you die a slow and horrible death for sure. You may as well free yourself from your burdens and tell the truth, call this your 'hour of repentance'. But, if you do not want to, then I am sure I can arrange with NCIS to have you come back to Israel to get the information we all want. It is your choice."

The shock and fear that flashed on Benjamin's face was clear to McGee. The way his eyes darted around the room confirmed that Orli did have some type of leverage on him to control him. McGee wondered what had transpired between them in Israel for this man to be so evidently fearful. It wasn't the death threat that had seemed to scare him, but rather Orli's choice of words about repentance and going back to Israel. The NCIS team lead stayed quiet and began writing as quickly as Benjamin was spilling the truth.

"There are bombs in place around the city but they are not active. Where they are placed isn't their final destination. It's just holding locations until Amadi gives word to set them. If he doesn't send word, there's a backup contingency in place to move forward with Plan 'B'. He has twenty five men in DC alone, waiting for his orders. I don't know when they are supposed to strike. He never let me in on that part of the plan. My only job was to get the kids and make him look like a victim while he setup the rest."

"Where are the bombs", McGee finally asked.

"I swear, I don't know. But this entire capital city is the target. They could be anywhere."

"Do you know what agency or building will be hit first?"

Benjamin lowered his head, "I've told you everything I know."

Orli nodded, "he's being truthful Agent McGee. Seems he is still the slacky he has always been."

"Think you mean 'lackey'", McGee corrected in a whisper. "But, I think you're right. There's nothing else we need from him." He got up and lifted Benjamin from his seat to escort him out. Their work seemed to be done for now. McGee wanted to check in with Bishop in MTAC so he could update Ziva later.

Orli followed behind but stopped halfway down the hall after McGee had handed Benjamin over to another set of agents to return him to lockup. When he noticed she stopped walking, McGee looked back at her quizzically, "you okay Orli?"

"I am fine", she showed a tired smile. "Just a little tired. As fun as that was, I think I need to retire to my hotel and rest. Must still be jetlagged."

"I understand, let me walk you out." As they set out to exit the building, McGee asked about Orli's ability to break Benjamin so easily. She told him of old stories of Mossad and confirmed things that he only thought were rumors and harsh jokes Ziva used to tell. He was glad that the older woman, and Mossad for that matter, was on their side. If things were as bad as he felt they might become, having the strength of Mossad to back them would prove to be a powerful asset.

* * *

 **Bruhhh, this was longer than anticipated .. LoL**

 **We still have to get Tony out of the hospital AND I p** **romise to have your Gibbs bonus in the next chapter ...**

 **I wrote it but the chapter was already so long .. LoL**

 **Anyhoo, we have some interesting stuff coming so stick around folks!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	29. Truth and Love

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **Quick update that's needed!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter XXIX - Truth and Love

* * *

"DiNozzo, you look like hell", Gibbs stood stoically in the doorway with Anthony by his side laughing.

Tony grunted as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, I know boss. And III, you think its funny that your old man is all beat up?"

The youngest DiNozzo stopped laughing but kept his smile as he strolled over to his father. He sighed and placed his hand on Tony's uninjured shoulder, "dad, I don't think grandpa was talking about you being beat up. I think he meant that it's obvious that either ima or Tal went nuclear on you." The twevle year old shook his head while trying to stifle a new wave of laughter. He had always been keen on knowing when his father had had a less than pleasant encounter with one of the two important ladies in their life.

Gibbs chuckled as Tony looked passed the boy and settled his focus on him with a puzzled look. "The young marine is right", Gibbs clarified, "so which one of them was it?"

"Both technically", Tony admitted in a sigh. "But Tali was worse."

"Uh huh", Gibbs grunted. "So what happened", he asked as he sat down.

"Nothing, just said somethings Tali didn't like and Ziva added her two cents after her junior broke down."

"Whoa! Dad, you made Tal cry?" The boy shook his head and started singing teasingly, "you're in trouble!"

"Hey, it was a mistake, alright? The girl is too much like Ziva. So damn passionate and wanting to be independent. I was a little too real with her and she couldn't handle it." Both Gibbs and Anthony raised their eyebrows at him to continue explaining. Tony, however, didn't want to replay the event so he opted for changing the subject. "That's why she's not here now. Ziva took her to the cafeteria for ice cream and to go ...", he paused to try to figure our whether or not to add the last past. He decided not to, "and go talk."

Gibbs knew him too well though. He cleared his throat then asked, "and where is she taking her after the ice cream and talk?"

Tony's eyes shifted as he clenched his jaw. His hand closed into a tight fist and his nose started to flare.

Anothy picked up in the familiar protective look and chuckled. "Mom took her to see her boyyyy frieenndddd."

The older DiNozzo's eyes shot to his son, "Tali does NOT have a boyfriend ... and how the hell do you know she's there?"

"Your jaw locks and your nose flares whenever something makes you mad about Tal and someone you don't want her around. Since the only place she can go is inside the hospital and the only other person she'd want to see is Hunter, I just put two and two together", he stated plainly then shrugged.

Tony rubbed his head then looked at Gibbs, "why is he so smart?"

"Must get it from Ziver", Gibbs joked and chuckled. His surrogate son glared at him and he sighed, "Look DiNozzo, I don't know what you said but you better get your act together. The worse thing to do is to get one of those DiNozzo women all emotional, you know they stick together and they'll ware you down."

"I know boss, but that spy boy just ..", he stopped and looked at Anthony as something clicked in his head. "Hey III, why did you assume that your sister would WANT to see Officer Amadi? Did she say something to you about liking him ... you know ... like, as in, she wants him to be her boyfriend?"

Anthony rolled his eyes, "technically she didn't say anything to me."

"Then she said it to your mom and you overheard?" Tony tried to make sense of his son's knowledge of Tali's desire. _Ugh, desire?_ The thought of his little girl desiring anyone made him cringe. Still, he wanted an answer. He gave Anthony an intense look to let him know that he needed to start talking.

"She didn't tell mom either", the 12 year old sighed. "You and Ima were knocked out. I went to the bathroom and when I came back, Tali was calling for Hunter and kinda crying. I woke her up but I only told her that she was crying and having a bad dream. She doesn't know she was talking in her sleep."

"Did she say anything else besides his name?"

"No", he answered too quickly.

Tony looked at Gibbs then back at Anthony, "buddy, you need to tell me so we can help your sister heal. Those nightmares will get worse if we don't help her address them."

"So, you're saying I should have told her that she was talking too?"

"Yeah, and you should have told us. Buddy, please, what else did she say?"

Anthony looked worried and troubled. Part of him felt it was his duty to keep Tali's secret a secret. The other part of him knew that his father was probably right. Ultimately, he just wanted to help his big sister, his 'protector' as he called her, heal completely from what she'd gone through. After giving it a few more moments of thought he conceded, "Tal kept asking Lucifer to stop and she said he was hurting him."

 _She's reliving it in her sleep. Watching his torture._ Tony let out an exasperated sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

Gibbs cleared his throat and signalled for Anthony to come to him. When the young boy did, Gibbs whispered in his ear and then titled his head towards the door. Anthony nodded then exited the room to give his grandpa and father privacy.

When Gibbs was sure the door was closed, he stood from his seat and towered over Tony. The younger man should have saw it coming but he was lost in thought. Before he even knew what happened, the familiar sting at the back of his head almost made his ears ring. The proper slap that Gibbs inflicted suddenly put everything in perspective for his protege.

Tony rubbed the back of his and locked eyes on Gibbs. "Thank you boss", he said in a whisper.

"Mmhmm", he smirked for a second then his face went back to being serious. "Now, tell me what you said to my granddaughter?"

"I uh, I kind of told her that spy boy was groomed by a terrorist so he was going to be a terrorist too. And that, for all we know, he may have had a hand in this mess too."

Gibbs squeezed the bridge of nose while shaking his head, "you gotta he kidding me DiNozzo." When Tony just lowered his head in embarrassment, he continued, "even if it is true, which I don't think is, why the hell would you say that her? She's seventeen and just escaped the most horrific thing in her life!"

Tony sighed, "Boss, I know .. I mean I panicked."

"Ya panicked!? Panicked how? What reason would you have to ..." Seeing Tony's defeated eyes, the older man immediately understood. He sighed deeply, "Look son, I know you feel bad because at the end of it you weren't there but that's not something you could have controlled. And you can't make yourself feel worse because you saved the boy but never got a chance to save Tali, not your fault. Trust me, trying to scare her about a boy that your not ready for her to be close to isn't going to make Tali any easier to deal with during the rest of this. You need to understand what her needs are and trust that you raised her right. Plus, you know Hunter isn't a bad kid or else you would have never saved him."

There was nothing else Tony could do but nod his head in agreement. The gesture was all Gibbs's needed to feel like he got through to his protege. He walked to the door and opened it to exit but stopped momentarily, "I'm gonna go grab some coffee and send a nurse in to help you change. Keep your head together when those girls of yours get back. My guess is they'll be here soon."

* * *

Gibbs had called it, just twenty minutes later, right after Tony emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, Ziva and Tali returned to the family's private room. He moved quietly to a chair while readjusting the annoying strap of the new sling that was placed on his arm. The silence was unbearable but he did nothing to break it.

Ziva, however, had other plans. "Where is Anthony and Gibbs", she asked.

"Um", he cleared his throat, "coffee."

"Right, okay then, I am going to find them." She looked between her husband and her daughter, "You two need to talk, alone ... try not to verbally kill eachother."

Tony watched in dispair as his wife left. Secretly, he wanted her to stay to play referee. His nerves were on overload because he knew the fiery yet delicate teen before him could completely shut him down and he didn't want to make another mistake in pushing her to it. As it would seem now, Tali had no intentions on speaking to him at all. He understood why, but that only made it worse.

Not knowing where to start, he just sighed, "I'm sorry about upsetting you Tali." The teen looked at him indignantly and rolled her eyes. Tony shook his head, "Look, I know tempers are high right now, and maybe I shouldn't have said what I said without ..."

"Gee dad, you think", she interrupted. Finally voicing her opinion sarcastically.

The DiNozzo sarcasm not being what Tony wanted to hear, he raised his voice slightly, "Hey, watch your tone, okay? I'm still your father! I may have made a mistake, but you don't get to talk to me any kind of way. I let it slide earlier, but I'm not having it now!"

Tali's jaw clenched as she tried to bite her tongue. She hated being reprimanded, and hated even more that she couldn't figure out how to express her current feelings. The room fell silent again. A few seconds felt like long minutes which had turned into hours that brought even more tension. The atmosphere was cold and thick. It was becoming too much again.

Tony sighed, "did you see him again?"

"'Him' who?"

"You know exactly who Tali. Did you go to Officer Amadi's room again?"

"It's okay to call him 'Hunter' dad", she sighed. "And yes, I did. Ima went with me."

"So, what did you talk about for almost three hours?"

"Actually, we were only there for an hour and half after Ima and I had lunch. We just talked about general stuff."

"What is 'general stuff'?"

Tali rolled her eyes, "like you care."

"I'm trying here Tali, give me a break!"

"Why!?" Suddenly she was yelling in frustration, "why are you even acting like you're okay all of a sudden? It's not like you like him! It's not like you care about what happens to him! You STILL think he's like his father and you're STILL judging him!"

"Did I not apologize", Tony's volume not matched his daughter's. "I could have sworn that was the first thing I did when we started this conversation."

"It wasn't sincere ..."

"How? How do you know that when you came in here ready to keep ripping me a new one with your little attitude and sarcastic remarks!? This is NOT easy for me Tali! Can't you understand that? Terrorists came into OUR home and took you from me! Then, they almost killed me leaving your mother to search for you without my help! And then we get you back but everything is different!" He paused as his voice cracked. He fought to level his breathing and bring his voice back down to an even tone. "You came back different babygirl. And I know that that is normal, hell I've seen it first hand with your mother. I guess .. I don't know .. in my head, I wished that you'd come back the same. That you'd still need your old man to protect you. But, you came back and you didn't need your old man anymore. You needed the spy boy with the accent and the big beard and the man bun." He scoffed as he ran Hunter's other features through his head, knowing that daughter could probably easily have a crush on him if they'd just passed by on the street. Soon, he shook his thoughts and continued, "What you went through, he was there and I wasn't so I get that, now, you want him there for you all the time."

Tony sighed after Tali stayed quiet. He continued on in honesty, "I know he's not like his father and I know he's not a terrorist. I'm sure, in my gut, that he had no parts of this and was just a victim of circumstance too. I had no right to say anything otherwise before. Guess I just felt like my little girl grew up super fast in a matter of two weeks and, just when I get her back, someone else is taking her away."

"Abba", she whispered as she rubbed her temples to try to force the words that were swirling around in her head to come together. After a few moments, the words finally formed the sentences she wanted to say, "no one is taking me away. I mean sure, I really like Hunter but we are just friends. The last thing on either of our minds is to start dating and run off to some exotic place to elope." The thought made them both chuckle. "And yes, I want to be around him but that's because I know it's good for both us to heal. I'm really trying hard not to shutdown and to work through everything one moment at a time. And so is Hunter. But, in order to do that, we both need to be around someone who understands how we feel. Who can help us process the shock as it comes ... that's who we've been to each other from the moment we met. Now that we've survived hell together, we want to remain each other's support. That doesn't mean I don't still need you though daddy."

She stood and walked over to where Tony was sitting. Taking the chair next to him, she sat down and leaned her head on his good shoulder. Tony smiled and reached his hand to stroke her cheek. "You still need me", he asked in a hushed tone.

"I will ALWAYS need you", she nodded. "You're my abba, no one can ever take your place in my life."

Tony chuckled, "maybe I got a little jealous. I shouldn't have tried to scare you to keep you away from Offi .. from Hunter. I understand everything now and I really am sorry."

"For giving you attitude and being kind of bratty, I'm sorry too", she let out a small laugh then sat up to kiss his cheek. This time, when the silence fell, they were both content and the tension ceased to exist. Just father and daughter, reveling in the peace of being in each other's presence. It's what they needed— truth and love.

* * *

 **Next chapter up tomorrow!**

 **Just wanted to clean up Tony and Tali's relationship.**

 **— she will FOREVER be a daddy's girl! LoL**

 **Review Review Review!**

 **Later Peeps!**

 **\- Chide**


	30. Ride The Wave

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **Drama on the way!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **\- Sidebar: a bit off schedule sooo my bad for not posting when I said I would the other day .**

Chapter XXX - Ride The Wave

* * *

It was Sunday again, and this time, the DiNozzo house seemed to be back to normal. Tony and Ziva sat at the dining room table with Orli, having breakfast and chatting about old times while Tali and Anthony hung out in the teen's room.

"Sooooo, you going to see spy boy today?" Anthony chuckled at the death stare his older sister gave at the use of their father's nickname for Hunter. "What?"

Tali shook her head, "I hate that nickname. Abba really needs to stop saying it and so do you!"

"Fineee", he whined. "Are you going to go see Hunter today?"

"Um, I'm not sure. We haven't really talked. He's not answering his room phone and he still doesn't have a cell." She sighed in defeat, "I just wish I could get a hold of him before I show up, you know? To know where his head is before hand."

"I don't get it, I thought he had memory loss", Anthony stated while not hiding his confusion.

"Yeah, so?"

"Sooooo, wouldn't his head be like kinda gone?"

Tali chuckled, "not really. I helped him remember pretty much everything, but he kinda shutdown on me the last time we talked. He was really upset."

"And you don't want him to spaz on you again, I get it." Anthony stood from Tali's desk chair and went to lay beside her on her bed. He looked at her pensively, wondering if he should ask his next question or not.

While he was trying to figure out exactly how to ask, Tali picked up on his change in demeanor. "Don't think too hard III, whatever it is, just ask."

"Well", he sighed while rolling on his side to face her directly. "I guess I just want to know what it was like."

Tali raised her eyebrow at him, "what what was like?"

Anthony lifted her arm gently and rubbed his finger over one of Tali's scars. "Being captured", he said in an absent whisper while lowering her hand back in the place it was. "You talk in your sleep now and you're always calling for Hunter or screaming at the man that took you. It's kind of scary but I can't ..."

"Can't stop wondering what it must have been like?" Tali finished for him and he nodded. "It was scary", she sighed. "And painful. The worst week and a half of my life ... but there was a silver lining in all of it."

"You mean something good happened, besides being rescued?"

"Yeah, when I think about it, it could have been a lot worse." She spoke honestly, "they could have taken you instead and then I would have failed at being your protector. I don't think I would have been able to handle it if they'd taken you. And I never want you to know the kind of pain and torment I went through ... my silver lining is that you were here, well at NCIS, helping the team find me and being safe."

Anthony was astonished by the honest confession. He didn't know what to say, so he just nestled into his protector's embrace and silently thanked God that she was finally home and their life was back to normal.

* * *

Downstairs, the conversation got quiet as Ziva's laptop started to sound the notification of an online voice call. Orli and Tony looked at her in curiosity while she looked at the number in which was unfamiliar.

"Uh Zi, you gonna answer", Tony asked when he realized how stuck she looked.

Ziva nodded then cliked 'accept' for the call to connect. After the computer chimed the call's connection, she spoke, "Hello? Who is this?"

 _"Shalom Agent David"_ , a man's voice came through the laptop's speakers. His use of the typical Hebrew greeting and Ziva's maiden name causing alarm to everyone present.

Ziva looked confused at Orli who shrugged to note that the voice was unfamiliar to her. "I have not been Agent David for almost 14 years, now who is this?"

The man chuckled, _"Right, it is DiNozzo now, correct? Your father must be turning in his grave knowing you married the American. I will not disrespect his legacy by calling you as such, Agent David."_

Tony opened his mouth to speak but Orli quickly signalled him to remain quiet and nodded for Ziva to continue speaking.

"Look, just tell me who you are and what you want. Why have you called?"

 _"Mossad wonders why you are in contact with Officer Paza Balsam and, former director, Orli Elbaz? It was their knowledge that you cut ties long ago. My interest is your interest in The Tribe, why are your people and two Mossad employees in communication about classified information?"_

"I do not know who you are, but Mossad is very much aware of who I have spoken to and why. Now if you do not want to reveal yourself then I will have to end this call."

 _"Who I am does not matter",_ his tone was almost creepy. It sent a chill through Ziva and Tony as well. Feeling no further need to keep the call going, Ziva prepared to end it but paused after the mystery caller's next question. _"How is Tali recovering, by the way? I'm sure she must be happy to finally be back home in her bed again. But does she feel safe?"_

"My daughter is NOT your concern! If you are looking for a problem, you are certainly going to ha ..."

 _"Agent David, it is not a problem I seek to have. I'm just wondering why you would put your daughter, or your entire family for that matter, back in the line of fire?"_ The man paused to clear his throat then resumed his speech, _"Time is running out. You're not safe at home and neither is your family. The Navy Yard isn't safe either. Sooner or later we will get you and drag you all to hell. Tali knows a lot about hell, ask her ... if you can find her."_

Both DiNozzo parents looked at eachother with widened eyes full of horror. Ziva ended the connection and ran up the stairs with Tony following right behind.

"Tali!" Both yelled as they busted through the door to their daughter's room.

"What!?" Tali yelled, startled at her parents sudden frantic appearance.

Anthony also jumped in shock, "what's going on? You guys look totally freaked!"

Ziva grabbed Tali while Tony pushed Anthony out the room. Before the left completely, Ziva spoke in a hushed tone to Tony, "Plan Z".

"Ima, what is going on!?" Tali kept struggling to get out of her mother's grasp but failed miserably.

"Listen to me!" Ziva's grip tightened as she finally got Tali to stop trying to get away. "Tali, listen, was there anyone in the warehouse that looked or sounded Israeli?"

The teen looked at her as if she had three heads. "What?"

"Was there anyone in that warehouse that looked or sounded Israeli", Ziva asked more sternly.

"No", Tali sighed. "I mean, I don't know. All the men wore masks and they never spoke in front of me. Why, what is going on?"

Finally, Ziva loosened her grip and walked over to Tali's closet. Reaching up to the shelf inside, she pulled down a duffle bag and brough it over to the bed.

"Um, why are you packing my stuff?" Tali watched on as her mother started putting random clothing items in the bag. Ziva moved methodically and did not say a word. "Ima, can you tell me what is happening?" Still, Ziva said nothing as she finished up packing the bag. Tali became increasingly impatient, "MOM!"

All motion stopped as Ziva's head shot up to look in her panicked daughter's eyes. She sighed as she zipped the bag, "hush motek, please. I will explain later, now get dressed quickly and meet us downstairs."

Before Tali could protest, Ziva was out the door with the duffle bag in hand. Without having any other instruction, she did as told and got dressed quickly so she could go get the explanation she felt she desperately needed.

* * *

When Ziva returned back downstairs, Tony was coming back in the living room after placing bags by the door. He took Tali's bag from Ziva's hand and put it with the rest.

Orli walked into the living room and watched as Ziva and Tony both moved to separate sides of the room to open different safes. In the one Tony opened, he placed their NCIS credentials and weapons then retrieved two burner phones and a laptop before closing it. From the other safe, Ziva pulled out four passports, a set of keys, and a couple stacks of cash then closed it back and pressed a button to hide the safes again.

As Ziva handed Tony his passport, she looked over at Orli, "are you sure you do not know who that was?"

"I am positive. The voice was not familiar, what are you planning?"

Orli's answer was honest so Ziva trusted her to know the truth, "we obviously have a problem and we need to make sure the kids are safe. Whoever that was is from the past and knows way too much about what has been going on the last two weeks. We are taking them to safety and I think you need to get back to Mossad."

"Mossad knows everything that happened now that we are working together Ziva, I hope you do not take what you have just heard as someone who is still associated with the agency."

"We're not", Tony chimed in, "we trust you and the current Mossad director. But you heard that guy Orli, we don't want to take any chances."

"Take any chances on what?" Tali asked as she and Anthony came down the stairs now fully dressed.

"Motek, we have a security issue and so we need to leave", Ziva explained. "Abba and I cannot say now where we are going, but you will know soon."

"Another security issue? For government agents, there are a lot of security issues happening in our house", Tali yelled in frustration.

"Tal, calm down and look at the brightside, we don't have to go back to school tomorrow", Anthony spoke trying to ease the tension.

"Motek, please, we need both of you to give us your phones and leave your iPads and laptops here as well."

"So basically, anything that can be traced", Tali asked with an attitude.

Ziva ignored her tone and responded, "yes, anything that can be traced stays. Now do it quickly."

Both DiNozzo children reluctantly did as they were told as Ziva looked to Orli, "did you fly commercial or did you use my father's jet?"

"His jet, my dear, but I would assume that you need it now?" Orli answered, ready to make arrangements to have the family fly wherever they need to go.

"No, you take it back, we will charter a plane. Whoever this man is will probably know about my father's plane. Does all of Mossad know about what I inherited in his death?"

"The information of his will and your inheritance is only something you, Tony, myself and your father's lawyer knew. His lawyer has since passed, no one else outside of this room knows. You are going to one of the properties then?"

"Yes, but not in Israel. If someone is looking for us outside of DC, that will be the firsf place they will look."

"I can make sure you are all under the protection of ..."

"No", Tony interrupted, "we don't want Mossad involved in protecting us. We will protect ourselves. You just keep working the present case from there and we will be in touch."

Orli hugged all of them and spoke her goodbyes. When she reached the front door, she turned back to Ziva who was walking behind her, "please be safe. I wrote that number down and will make sure it is traced. I am certain your plan does not include informing NCIS?" Ziva only nodded to inform she was correct. "Might I suggest that you let me go to the Navy Yard to inform only your main team so they can work at this end?"

"We gave the team off today to finally rest, so go to them tomorrow. Just tell McGee 'plan Z'. He will know where we are and what to do. If you have anyone trace that number, let it be my team. I don't want Mossad in on our leaving just yet. As my husband said, we trust you but I have my doubts about certain things with this man's obvious knowledge. McGee will give you a way to contact us, please be safe as well Orli."

With a soft smile and a gentle kiss on the cheek, Orli nodded her understanding then left. She was hopeful in her heart that all would turn out for the best, but something in her also said it might be the last time she saw them. _Please God, keep them safe._

* * *

.

* * *

The next day, after flying all day and night then taking a private boat that morning, they finally arrived to their destination.

"Whoa", Anthony exclaimed in excitement, "we own a private island and you guys never brought us here!? This place is insane!"

He ran off to explore their own little slice of heaven, while Ziva and Tony chuckled. Tali, however, moved slowly towards the entrance, taking in the sun rays and salt water breeze that came from ocean front property.

"Hey III", Tony called out when they reached the door to the beautiful secluded villa, "come on buddy, you should see the inside of this place!"

Anthony ran over as Ziva pulled out the keys and unlocked the door. He was the first to push past her and enter, "seriously!? Why have you guys never brought us here!? This is so dope! Im going to find my room!"

With the youngest DiNozzo running off towards the bedroom, Tony shook his head and grabbed the bag that carried their laptop and burn phones, "I'll be in the office, getting this stuff up and checking your father's inventory. We're 9 hours ahead, so Tim should be making contact soon."

Ziva nodded as she closed the door behind her. Tali just stood in the foyer silently. Something was bugging her. Thoughts plagued her mind about why they were running and what she left behind. _Hunter._

Noticing her daughter's facial cues, Ziva sighed and pulled Tali further into the house to the kitchen area. Tali sat on one of the island bar stools while Ziva checked the cabinets and fridge. "Good, they have come to stock everything."

"Who is they", Tali asked in a tired tone.

"My father's people from the mainland, I alerted then before we came to prepare the house, which mostly meant stocking the kitchen." The teen grunted and rolled her eyes. Ziva sighed, "what is on your mind motek?"

"What's on my mind", she scoffed. "Prom is in 3 weeks, my graduation is in a month, I still haven't decided which school I'm going to respond to about attending this fall, and now I don't even know if ANY of that is happening for me now! You won't even tell us why the hell we're here! Why are we even running!? How do we even know this place is safe!? What the hell is 'Plan Z'!?"

"When all else fails and the family is at risk", Ziva explained, "Plan Z is our safety net. This house was one of many left to me by my father when he passed. It is the safest place because it is the most remote. Only me, abba, Orli, and Uncle Tim know about this place. And now you and your brother." She paused to pour them both something to drink then continued, "Technically, we are not running, we are away because DC is not safe right now and I need to protect you. All of you. As soon as we track down the rest of the terrorists and neutralize the threat, we can go back home."

"How do you even know there's still a threat?"

"I received a call yesterday from a man making threats. We could not take anymore chances."

"What kind of threats?" The silence the fell between them instantly was unbearable. After a few minutes, Tali asked again this time raising her voice. "What kind of threats!?"

"The kind that I do not take lightly Tali!" Ziva's voice now matches her daughter's in this sudden yelling match. Her thick accent returning, the signal that her anger was getting the best of her. "All your life we have sheltered you and done our best to keep you safe ..."

"Yeah and what a great job you've done up until two weeks ago", she interrupted sarcastically.

"That was not easy for any of us Tali, you were not the only one affected!"

"Who was affected? None of you seem to understand what I had to go through! Last I checked, I'm the one that got kidnapped, raped, and tortured! So much for keeping me safe!

A very emotionally Tali finally stood and started to walk away but Ziva grabbed her by the arm. "You are not just going to walk away from me. Crucify us if you want! Blame us for everything but we tried our best Tali! Yes, you were taken but you need to also recognize that seven agents died trying to save you! Your father and I risked our careers and our own lives to find you! And as for what you went through, you keep pretending as if no one knows or understands how you feel but there is at least one who knows everything!"

"Yeah right, who!?" Tali yelled while pulling her arm away and stepping back.

"ME!" In that moment, the flood gates opened. A waterfall of tears started flowing from Ziva's eyes. Involuntarily, she started to shake and her voice broke. "I know ... from experience ... and not just the one time you think you know about, it happened far before Somalia ... I was younger than you the first time. And then years later when Somalia happened, I never thought I would survive. I know that pain. I know the agony then the eventual numbness. I understand praying for death and losing all hope. Then being saved and the constant feeling of being unclean. The unsettling nervousness when someone you do not know comes too close and the guilt you feel when you are afraid of the people you love. I still have the nightmares ... still look at my scars and have flashbacks as if it were real all over again. I have been where you were, so do not act as if no one understands!"

Tali was frozen by her mother's vulnerability. This woman who was always stoic and strong, was now showing a side of herself that the teen never remembered ever seeing. There was a brokeness that was exposed that rendered Tali silent.

"Those threats I received yesterday", Ziva sniffled as she tried to compose herself, "the man said that he was going to drag us all to hell. Then he insinuated that you had been kidnapped right from under our roof again. In an instant, my heart dropped because I thought I had lost you again. That I failed as your mother again. I could not live with myself if you had to go through any of it again so, I made a split second decision to keep us all safe and your father backed me ... now we are here." She shook her head as she sighed, "I do not know how long it will take to neutralize the threat, but I do know that I am trying my best to end all off this. It may not make sense or even be good enough for you Tali, but all I can do is keep making the choices I know will benefit us all until the job is done."

There was nothing left to say. Ziva had nothing left in her and Tali could not force what was in her mind out to form words. After a few moments, Ziva left the kitchen and disappeared down the hall leaving Tali to just stand there in a daze. The teen sighed and stared out through the large window at the waves crashing onto the beach. It was an image of how she felt at the moment, there was a harshness and still a beauty to it all. She hadn't meant for things to go that way with her mother at all, but she felt different because of it. A little less burdened if that was at all possible. Eventually, she would have to apologize and seek the help she need. For now, she just wanted to stay put and continue to emotionally ride the wave.

* * *

 **Where are they? I know, do you? LoL ... McGee will tell us next chapter.**

 **Plus, we make headway on tracking The Tribe and get their story.**

 **More drama and then some much deserved peace!**

 **This story is almost at its end ...**

 **REVIEW! Later peeps!**

 **\- Chide**


	31. Finally!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **Reminder: this story is rated 'M' for a reason.**

Chapter XXXI - Finally!

* * *

"Ugh", Bishop grunted as she entered the bullpen and sat at her desk. "I hate Mondays!"

"You and me both", McGee chimed in after taking another sip of coffee while going over files at his desk. "They're always worse when it starts with going over resumes and personnel files to fill the team vacancies while you're in the middle of tracking a terrorist cell to take down."

"Vacancies, as in plural? I thought we would only be replacing Torres?" Bishop looked over in confusion.

McGee sighed and pointed across the bullpen at the two empty desks. "We already had a vacancy that I was trying to fill before we got the call about Tali's kidnapping so I put it on hold. Now Torres has turned out to be a traitor so I have two slots to fill. We can't be down two agents while trying to track down this cell. With Tali and Hunter back, and Amadi and Benjamin in custody, it's back to just our team working this case."

"Two probies in the middle of a case like this?" Bishop shook her head and voiced her disapproval, "I don't think that's a good idea. Can't we get at least one transfer so they'll only be new to the team but will still be a very trained NCIS agent? I can't see us being able to completely focus with two probies around that we'll have to be teaching. If we weren't searching for The Tribe, then it would be okay, but not right now."

"I agree. My plan wasn't to hire a probie at all but the inner office hire sheets are thin right now. All the agents looking to transfer are mostly ones that have never been in the field before so it would still be like hiring a probie anyway."

Bishop shrugged while she clicked through her emails. A comfortable silence falling between them as McGee went back to reading files.

A short while later, the silence was broken as the SecNav entered the bullpen. "Agent McGee, I need a word."

McGee stood, "yes Sir?" He looked over to Bishop and shrugged at a her puzzled face then took the stairs up to the Director's office to see what SecNav wanted.

When the door closed behind them, SecNav explained his the reason for his visit, "As you know, Director DiNozzo is still out on medical leave and now Agent DiNozzo is on family leave to take care of her husband and daughter since they are home now. With there still being a terrorist threat in DC and having the Assistant NCIS Director away at a security conference, I am putting you in charge as the acting Director of NCIS. You are the senior most agent, so I'm trusting you to get the job done. I know that you are more than capable."

McGee momentarily blanked out but quickly got himself together. "Wow, thank you sir. I appreciate your vote of confidence and I will definitely handle the matter."

SevNav nodded, "Good, I have another pressing meeting I need to get to at the Pentagon. If you need anything call, although I'm sure you can handle it. Good day, Director!"

McGee gave a sincere nod as he watched the man exit the room. _This is crazy! Man, I have to call Tony and tell him I'm his new temp._ He laughed at the thought of what kind of jokes Tony would make up upon hearing the news. _Hmph, that's weird._ Tony's phone, however, kept going to straight to voicemail. McGee just chalked it up to him resting, but something seemed off. Still, he tried to ignore it and was brought out of his thought process when there was a knock at the door.

"Yes, come in."

"Hey", Bishop peeked her head in before fully entering with a huge smile, "so the building is buzzing already that you're acting director."

"It's been less than five minutes", McGee chuckled.

"Yeah, but as soon as SecNav got on the elevator there was an agency wide email sent out. So, have you called Tony yet? He's going to have so many jokes", the younger agent laughed.

"Actually I did, but his phone isn't on."

"That's odd", Bishop looked curiously then pulled out her phone to try her luck. When it went straight to voicemail, she called Ziva to get the same typical voicemail greeting. "Hm, Ziva isn't answering either. Both work and personal phones are off."

"Maybe they just want a little break from everyone to finally enjoy being home. I'll stop by there during lunch."

"You will not find them there", came a voice from behind them as neither of them noticed the door to the office had opened.

Both turned their attention to the door out of curiosity and McGee spoke, "Orli, hi please come in ... and why exactly won't they be there? Do you know why they aren't answering their phones?"

Orli smiled politely as she fully entered and closed the door behind her. "Well, their phones are locked in a safe at home, but they have left."

"Why would they leave and lockup their phones", Bishop asked.

Orli cleared her throat and looked towards McGee, "Ziva advised me to come here today to inform you that they are now acting under 'Plan Z'."

"Damn", McGee immediately sat down to turn on the computer. "When did the threat come and when did they leave?"

"Yesterday morning around 7:30AM. They left shortly after on a chartered plane."

"Wait", Bishop was more confused, "what is 'Plan Z' and where are they?"

As McGee typed away on the computer he explained, "'Plan Z' is Tony and Ziva's safety plan to get away whenever they feel there is a credible threat against the safety of the family. One in which they deam it unsafe to be at home, the Navy Yard, or Israel. The three most probable places to track them down if you were looking for them."

He paused to make sure that Bishop was following so far, when she nodded he continued, "After Eli David passed, he left his entire estate and fortune to Ziva. As you can imagine, it included a multiplicity of homes, cars, a yacht, a jet, and a whole lot of money. However, Ziva barely uses any of it so some of the houses were either sold or rented out. There is, however, one house in particular that is so remote, and honesty so completely beautiful, that Tony and I convinced her to keep it in the event that they just needed a getaway. Shortly after III was born, there was a threat put out against the DiNozzo's but we quickly neutralized it. From that point, we came up with a plan to use, just in case there was ever a need for them to get away to keep the kids safe. It was only to be used if there were no other options for safety."

"'Plan Z'", Bishop said as she followed along.

McGee stood and walked over to a safe which only few people knew Tony had in the office. "Exactly", he responded as he opened it and removed a laptop, flash drive, and burn phone before closing it back. "The use of the letter 'Z' is because the place they went to was the last item mentioned in Eli's will. The 26th itemized piece within Ziva's inheritance."

"They are at the villa." Knowing the contents of the will, Orli knew exactly where the DiNozzo's had gone.

Bishop, however, needed more information. "What villa?"

"It's a villa on a remote private island in Maldives", McGee answered. "It's a beautiful beach front property but also safe in that it is far away from any resorts and, if anyone were to find it with them there, there is a security system to lock down the house and a completely impenetrable panic room. The property is one of few in which has that kind of security."

"So, are you saying that Ziva, and essentially Tony since he married her, is a multimillionaire?" Bishop was fascinated and didn't hide her smile at the given information.

"Yeah, basically", McGee chuckled then got serious. "But since they went to Maldives under 'plan z' and not for a vacation, then we have a problem. We need to neutralize the threat in order for them to return home." He paused to check the time, "They're 9 hours ahead now so they should have gotten there and be pretty much settled in. Orli, did Ziva give you any information on the threat?"

"She didn't have to, I heard it when she took the call. I wrote the number to be traced", she pulled out a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Bishop. "Ziva said that she wants only your team to know about this for now. I would assume she will give more instructions when you contact them. As far as the threat, the man that called Ziva's laptop sounded Israeli and knew of the current case concerning The Tribe and my helping you. Neither I nor Ziva recognized the voice but we agree that he must have some previous association with Mossad. He spoke of the Mossad of the past and of Eli, then made a threat to drag the DiNozzo family to hell before insinuating that Tali had been taken again."

"Oh my God ..."

"They are fine Agent Bishop", Orli interrupted her gasping outburst. "Tali was in fact safe and in the house but Tony and Ziva did not want to take anymore chances."

"They did the right thing", McGee agreed. "Bishop, run that trace in Abby's lab. Fill her in on what's going on. Have her hack into Ziva's laptop remotely to pull up the voice file from the call and run it against the files we have on Israeli men for voice recognition."

"How do you know the call was recorded", Bishop asked puzzled.

"I installed the program on both their laptops myself. It auto records any calls that come through for safety purposes. You'd be surprised how many threats they get. I know Ziva would never disable the recording program so the voice file should be there. Since they immediately put the plan in motion, all their electronic devices are locked up in the house. I'll get them later, for now, Abby can remotely access it."

"Okay, on it boss", she left in a rush to head to the lab and get to work.

"How much longer are you staying Orli? We could use the help to neutralize the threat and get them back home."

"Actually, Ziva has asked that I return to Mossad so I can inform the director. My plane leaves in 2 hours. I will, however, be able to help from my end in Tel Aviv. Also, Ziva said you'd have the contact information I'd need to reach her."

"Yes I do." McGee quickly jotted down three phone numbers and handed them to her. "The first two are for Ziva and Tony, the last one is my line. Please, let me know as soon as you've returned to Israel."

"Of course, thank you Agent McGee." They shared a hug and small pleasantries before Orli exited to be on her way back to Mossad.

* * *

After setting up the laptop and burn phone, McGee put the office in SCIF mode and made a video call. After a few moments, the call connected then Tony popped up on the screen.

 _"Hey Probie! Are you in my office?"  
_  
McGee chuckled, "yeah, we're in SCIF. Oh, and I was made acting director by SecNav an hour ago since you and Ziva are on leave."

 _"Whoa, nice McStandIn! Don't get too comfortable in my chair though."_

"Promise I won't", McGee laughed.

 _"So, I see Orli came to you .. how far are we from tracking down these douchebags? I mean, I love this island but I can't enjoy it knowing there's a threat on my family's life."_

"Well, we're not close yet but I just sent Bishop to run the trace on the call and Abby is accessing Ziva's laptop to get the voice file. Orli just left to head back to Tel Aviv. She said she'd keep working on it from her end. Hopefully by the time she lands I can have some more answers for you boss. I just wish we could have started this yesterday, you guys got a head start."

 _"Trust me, we thought about calling but we trusted Orli to relay the message since she was at the house. It was a long flight though, so I've been thinking a lot. I think it might be beneficial to talk to Hunter Amadi and see if he might know some information concerning The Tribe. Maybe his father said something that he may have heard but didn't really pay mind to that could be useful."_ He paused and McGee watched as Tony's face scrunched up. _"Uh, Probie, as soon as you have something concrete, call us alright? I need to go now, Ziva just walked by looking less than happy."_

"Alright, will do. Go make sure your wife is okay. And please, you guys be safe Tony!"

 _"Likewise McDirector!"_

They both cut the call simultaneously, and McGee took the office out of SCIF mode. Taking Tony's advice, he set out to go to the hospital and talk to Hunter.

* * *

.

* * *

At the villa, Tony wondered the house until he found a weeping Ziva in the wine cellar drinking straight from the bottle while leaning on the wall, trying to keep herself standing.

 _Well this can't be good._

Slowly he walked over and tried to removed the bottle from her grasp, but Ziva pulled it away. He sighed, "babe, what's wrong?"

"I am perfectly fine Tony."

"You're crying and drinking wine straight from the bottle, I'd say that this is not you 'fine'. What the hell happened?"

"Tali happened."

Tony looked at her confused. "Okayyyy, what did ninja junior do?"

"Nothing." Her response was quick and short with a hint of frustration. Tony gave her a look to try answering again with the truth. She sighed deeply, "our daughter has now pushed her anger to me because we are here. In my frustration, I may have brought up my past encounters that prove my understanding in what she is going through right now ... in particular ... Somalia. Now I feel like crap."

"I'm sorry Zi, all this will pass. Tali will get through it, we just need to be patient and you need not finish that entire bottle."

Reluctantly, Ziva handed the bottle over then raked her hand through her hair. "I know she needs time. I am not forcing her to get through it quickly. My problem right now is not the argument we just had ..."

"Then what's the problem", he interrupted while sitting the bottle on a nearby table.

"For the first time in a long time, I can see Saleem and his men in my mind. I just want to blur them out again, that is why I came down here."

"Ziva, I'm sor ..." The words came to a halt as Tony tried to pull his wife to him and she pushed him away. He looked deep in her eyes and the battle between broken Ziva and strong Ziva. It's something he hadn't seen in years. He sighed as he took a seat in the only chair that was in the room. After a few moments of silence, he looked up at her and spoke again. "Baby, please, you have to fight that feeling. Tali needs you strong right now. There's no room for Saleem and his men to cloud your mind. They are dead and can never hurt you again. Our baby girl needs to see the strength you gained after you survived so she can push past her demons too. I know you can do this Zi, please, be strong. Do whatever you have to do to get all that negativity out of your head."

In one sudden and swift move, she was straddling him where he sat. Her lips crashing onto his in a wave of fiery passion. Even if he wasn't injured, Ziva was in control and Tony understood her to need to be, so he let her— despite his own pain. This was the only way for her to reboot and refresh so she could be strong. Well, it wasn't the only way, but it was what she felt she needed at the moment. No emotional love making, just a satisfying fuck that would heighten her senses and knock out her fears as it always happened with Tony whenever she was in this state of imbalance.

Quickly, she did away with his belt then lowered his shorts and boxers. With one rough movement, she ripped open his shirt, causing him to wince slightly from the pain is his shoulder ... she didn't care. There was no time to care. Leaving his lips, she latched on to his neck. Biting down on his pulse point then suckling there as she hiked her dress up further and slid her panties to the side. Without warning, she came crashing down on his pulsating manhood and moaned deeply. She rode him without inhibition. He moved his hand to her hip to try and slow her pace but she was overpowering him and showed no mercy.

There was only one thing she wanted and that was release. She needed to get rid of the pent up frustration, the guilt, and the worry. He knew what she was doing and give in. Moving his hips to match her rhythm and forced himself to thrust upward— deeper into her, creating more friction and hitting her spot. She moaned in ecstasy, so close to her point of destination. Her head flew back as she cried out his name. She felt him grow harder inside her and her walls clenched his shaft even more.

Primal, that was the only word to define who she was at the moment. Her chest heaved as her breath hitched in her throat, she was almost there. Capturing his lips again, their tongues explored each other in her effort to taste him completely and build up his climax too. She didn't just want to come, she needed him to come with her ... deep in her— in an explosive release. He was getting closer too. His desire to give her what she needed outweighing his own fear that his shoulder may be worse after this. Hearing her moans was enough to keep him focused on the task at hand.

Focused on washing away every emotion she didn't need. Every vision she didn't want. Putting her in the place she so desperately felt like she needed to be. This was it, the moment she had long been waiting for. Her movements became choppy. She was on the edge and so was he. Leaning her head back, her lust filled eyes bore into his and finally she spoke her need. "Come with me, please", she said breathlessly. Her voice was almost unrecognizable to them both but he did as he was instructed. With three more hard thrusts, they both fell over the cliff. Screaming as their orgasms hit simultaneously. She collapsed on him trying to control her breathing as she wrapped her arms around his neck. In an instant she felt the relief that she craved and, on some level, he did too. They sat there in momentary bliss. Temporarily forgetting the threat on their lives and the world around them completely. Finally, there was a small sense of peace ... _finally!_

* * *

 **Possibly OOC, I don't know insert 'shrug' here**

 **But if it doesn't make sense, it will soon ... just bare with me.**

 **We have about 9 more chapters to go and everything will be finished.**

 **Oh, and I need your opinion, I made a quick mention to how Tony and Ziva got reconnected earlier in this story. Since then, I've been messing around with really exploring a storyline to it ... kind of prequel, if you will, to this story. Need you guys to review to tell me if you want me to do it after this ends. Please, let me know!**

 **Later Peeps!**

 **\- Chide**


	32. Falling Apart

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXII - Falling Apart

* * *

When McGee arrived at Bethesda, he didn't know what to expect from Hunter. Memory loss could be a tricky thing and he knew that, technically, the young officer wasn't out of the woods yet. There was still always a chance that things could get hazy for him as he still had a significant concussion. To McGee's surprise, however, when he entered the room the young man greeted him by name.

"Agent McGee, welcome Sir", he greeted as he adjusted himself in the bed so he was sitting up.

"Officer Amadi, how are you feeling?"

The young man shrugged, "pain is getting better and my memory is pretty good now, just been bored really. Kind of weird not having a cell phone or iPad to check social media for so long." He chuckled at his admittance of missing things like Instagram and Facebook when he used to think the concept of current social media was stupid. Girls posting half naked pictures for validation of people who would never truly care about them, guys posting updates with lies about how they "smashed" some random chick, the endless political debates that went back and forth with no real resolution to peace within a nation let alone the world, and all the stupid memes. It just never appealed to him, and now he wanted it more than ever. Just for a moment to pry into other peoples lives as his was at a complete standstill at the moment.

He cleared his throat after he snapped out of his social media thoughts and looked at McGee, "so, has NCIS interrogated my fath .. I mean, has NCIS interrogated Mohammed Amadi yet in his involvement with this whole mess? Or did he invoke his diplomatic immunity to get away?"

 _He's detaching himself from his father. That's either really good or really bad._ McGee looked at him intently then answered with a nod, "His right to diplomacy has been revoked by the South African Government. And, yes, we have interrogated him. Three times actually. Each one more interesting than the last."

"Hmph, I bet", he mumbled. "I'm assuming you're here then to ask me some questions to further implicate him?"

"You would be partially correct."

Hunter raised his eyebrow and smirked, "why only partially? What other reason would you have for coming here?"

"You are a valued asset to us Hunter. Without your help, Tali might still be locked in that cell instead safely with her parents. When Benjamin made his mistake in letting you go, you could have easily called your own people to come rescue you but you called us. Not only did you call us, but you told us the truth about everything you knew and pointed us in the right direction that ultimately led us to bringing down the leadership of a terrorist organization and saving Tali. To be quite frank, NCIS and America is in your debt. We want to see you make a full recovery. Not just so you can help us close this case for good, even if you don't answer my further questions about Mohammed Amadi, you have done enough for us. We genuinely just want you to recover so you can keep making a difference in this world. You're only 19 years old, and yet you have proven to be a better soldier than most veterans I know."

The young man was almost rendered speechless by his words. He'd never felt more proud and still so humbled by anyone before. With a sincere smile he said, "thank you, Sir, I am honored that I could help and serve."

McGee nodded and waited for Hunter to give his approval to be asked a few questions. When the young officer waved his hand to gesture that he was ready, McGee began, "Now, I understand that you had no part in any of this and that you are just a victim, but being as though the man behind this is your father, I need to know if you've heard him speak on a certain group that you may or may not have know he is involved with? It's called 'The Tribe' and he mentioned them in his interrogations."

"Sir, before I answer, I need to know if Mohammed Amadi is the leader of this group you're asking about?"

Something in his tone told McGee that he probably knew a lot about The Tribe. He decided to answer honestly so he would receive an honest answer in return. "Yes, your father", he paused when he saw Hunter grimace again at the thought of being the son of a terrorist. Quickly he corrected himself, "my apologies, the answer is yes. Mohammed Amadi is the leader of The Tribe."

"Son of a bitch", he sighed in frustration. Looking directly in McGee's eyes, he spoke slowly and honestly, "The Tribe is a new terrorist organization that emerged shortly after the war started to become a major international news story. When it was just local and only Africa was affected, there was no sign of them at all. After your government, and a few other nations, decided to step in as 'peacekeepers' to end the war before it got too crazy, The Tribe started reeking havoc. We realized that they were adding fuel to the fire by bombing both sides to make it look as if neither side was actually relenting when the North and South started to reconcile. After the war worsened and your military started fighting for us, The Tribe turned their attention on the US allies. Setting bombs in their camps and starting fires to the supply units."

"That was them?" McGee interrupted as he remembered when it started happening but no known terrorist groups had been proven to be the ones to take credit for it.

Hunter nodded and continued, "it was them. SASS had traced it back to The Tribe, but since they were homegrown, we did not want to tell your government, lest your military would be pulled out and we'd lose you as allies. So, instead, we partnered with a few other South African agencies and tried to take them down ourselves. Every time we came close, they were already gone. Soon, we concluded that there must have been a mole within one of the agencies. We assumed that it was probably a lower level officer, or maybe a few lower level officers. Now I understand why we never found the mole though. If Mohammed is the leader of the organization, then it makes sense as to how they were always a step ahead and always averted from being taken out. It would also explain why there was a growing need to make the deal with NCIS to further increase a naval presence. Up until Mohammed and Director DiNozzo signed those documents, The Tribe was only able to reek havoc on your army, marines, and air force. Now, with your Navy moving in, they could find a way to disable them too which would ultimately spark a new kind of war."

"Yeah, well we have a bigger problem now. Mohammed has moved part of The Tribe from South Africa to DC. He explicitly admitted that they would bomb all of the major US agencies and would do so with or without him being locked up. Benjamin also confirmed this. We need to figure out how to track them down before they can make good on their threats to America."

"Then I suggest you find Dingane Kwanele. We thought he was the leader but I guess he was just the front man, much like Benjamin was in those cells."

McGee jotted the name down quickly then looked at him, "you have no idea how much of a help you've been. With all this information, I need to get back to they Navy Yard now, but if you need anything just tell one of the agents outside and they'll reach me for you."

"No problem and thanks", Hunter replied but then suddenly thought to ask, "how is Tali?"

McGee stopped at the door and turned slightly to look back at him with a smile. Not wanting to alarm him and tell him that they were technically on the run from a new threat, he partially lied, "she's doing great! They took an impromptu vacation just to heal properly and have some much needed rest and relaxation. She should be back soon to visit you though."

"That's cool", the young man couldn't hide his hopeful smile that he would see her again soon. "If you talk to her, tell her I said hey."

"Will do."

With nothing further, McGee left to return to headquarters while Hunter sat in his thoughts about his new favorite crush. He missed her something terrible. After she missed her visit with him yesterday, he thought that maybe he had messed up in shutting down on the previous visit. It felt good to know that her absence was only due to her being on vacation. Now he really wished he had his cell so he could text her. Maybe he'd use the room phone to try to call later, for now he just wanted to rest some more and maybe dream about a future alternate universe of them in happier times.

* * *

.

* * *

At the same moment, it was 1930 Hours in Maldives, night fall had come and the view outside the house was even more gorgeous. The tension inside, however, was less than to be desired between mother and daughter. After dinner, Tony and Anthony went outside to relax on the beach while Tali opted to go to her room. Ziva finished cleaning up the kitchen then decided to finally go settle the tension between her and Tali. Now that she felt refreshed from her earlier activities with Tony, she figured it would be a good to time to try and have a heart to heart.

Upon reaching Tali's room, she knocked on the door and made her way in without waiting for an invitation. The teen rolled her eyes when she realized who came in and went back to reading her book. Ziva tried her best to ignore it and do what she set out to do.

"We need to talk Tali."

"About what", she asked not at all looking away from the book. Tali was completely uninterested. Sure, earlier she felt as though she should have apologized for starting the argument, but now her mood had changed. She wanted to stay mad at Ziva, for some reason, it made her feel better.

Ziva sighed, "about what happened earlier, of course."

"Okay", she shrugged, "so talk." Her nonchalant attitude only making matters worse.

 _She is not going to make this easy._ Ziva looked at her daughter intensely, waiting for her to put down the book and give her undivided attention. When a few minutes passed and Tali still kept flipping through pages, she snatched the book away and closed abruptly. After properly placing it in the shelf on the other side of the room, she turn back around with her arms crossed over her chest as she tried to reduce her growing anger. _Keep it together Ziva._

"You know, I CAN multitask", Tali's defiant attitude was ever present in her voice. "You didn't have make this little scene."

Ziva scoffed, "I am really losing my patience with you and I am trying so hard not to. Check that attitude and lose it!"

"You're the one standing there in a defensive stance so I think you need to reevaluate who has the attitude!"

The boldness of the statement struck a nerve in Ziva but she kept her cool. Deciding that Tali still needed a chance to cool off, she chose to save their talk for the morning. _Maybe a good night's sleep will help her get back to herself._ Once she finally reasoned with herself that now really wasn't the best time, Ziva threw up her hands in defeat, "you know what? Let's just forget this for now. Obviously, it is not the right time. Clearly, you are still upset and maybe we both still need a little breather, yes?"

Tali chuckled, "I'm not upset but whatever."

"If you are not upset, then why are you being so nasty?" Ziva couldn't help but to pry since Tali was obviously lying. _Fine, if she wants to push this then we will._

"Me being nasty?" Tali shook her head then pointed at her mother accusingly, "no, you're the nasty one!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Something in her caused her rise from the bed and make a bold move to stand toe to toe with the former Mossad assassin. She showed no fear as she made her next statement, "One minute you're breaking down about knowing how I feel and telling your hopeless sob story about Somalia, then the next you're off downstairs somewhere fucking like there's no tomorrow! You certainly didn't look like you knew my pain then! So, how does it work for you? Because, from where I'm standing, you're not broken at all! No, quite the contrary, you're just fine and riding dad's dick like a class 'A' whore!"

 _ENOUGH!_ The room went silent, except for the harsh sound of Ziva's open hand connecting with Tali's face. _Shit._ It was unexpected from both sides. Never had mother laid a hand on daughter, but a line had been severely crossed. One in which neither of the two ever thought possible.

The last thing Tali wanted to do was provoke her mother even more but she couldn't stop herself, "See? You look more like predator than victim now."

"Tali .." Ziva started to warn her but was interrupted.

"I don't care anymore. You should of left me in Hell ... at least Lucifer didn't lie to me like my so called mother does!"

That's when Tali ripped Ziva's heart right out of her chest. The admission of preferring to still be held captive instead of being with her was the ultimate blow for the mother. Never, in her life, did she feel so ... well, there actually wasn't a word to describe it ... what the hell was happening to her motek? And, furthermore, what was happening to her? Nothing made sense anymore so Ziva just walked towards the door to go and find some way of making sense of it all. As she walked out, she paused but didn't turn around to say, "I am sorry I failed you."

* * *

.

* * *

Half way around the world, back at Abby's lab, Bishop stared at the computer screen waiting for the back trace to make a connection so they could figure out the man behind the mysterious voice that they heard from the file Abby remotely accessed on Ziva's laptop. Truthfully, hearing the threat made both woman nervous but gave them all the more drive to end this hellish nightmare for their friends once and for all. There was no luck on running voice recognition, so tracing the number was their only hope in finding a lead.

"Anything yet?" Abby asked as she re-entered the lab with a caf-pow for herself and a coffee for Bishop.

"Thanks", Bishop said as she took her coffee, "and no it's still connecting. This thing has jumped all over the world."

"I really hate feeling helpless", Abby admitted but shortly tried to cheer them both up. "But, technically, there's still hope, right? My babies are going to trace this grimey man and we are going to track him down then you and Tim are going to bring him in and Ziva, Tony, Tali, and III can come back home and The Tribe will be taken out of commission and all will be right in our world again because enough is enough all ready ..."

 _*DING*_

Abby stopped her ramble as she and Bishop looked up at the computer screen which read:

 _'Private IP:176 90 10 02_

 _Willard Intercontinental'_

"He's downtown", Bishop stated in surprise. All this time, she was sure that the caller was probably somewhere in Israel but the proof was right in front of her. He was there, in DC, staying at a luxury hotel not far from them. "Abby, can we find the exact computer from that hotel that he used to make the phone call?"

"Hmm, it might take me about an hour but I could try to get it faster", she responded as her fingers flew across the keyboard at almost lightning speed.

"Great, when you get it call me!"

"Wait, where are you going", Abby called out but it was too late because when she glanced back, Bishop had already disappeared. She sighed and turned back to the screen, "after all these years, don't they know that I hate when they do that?"

* * *

Within 20 minutes, McGee pulled up at the hotel to meet Bishop. They entered and went straight to the welcome desk to ask to see the general manager. When he appeared from the back to introducd himself as 'Maxwell', McGee informed him of the nature of their visit.

Flashing his credentials, "I'm Special Agent McGee and this is Agent Bishop from NCIS. We are working a case that led us to this address and one of your computers in the Business Center. We need access to pull prints off of that computer."

"Do you have a warrant", Maxwell asked while looking at them like he had slight superiority complex. "Because if you do not, then I cannot help you. This is a luxury establishment and we pride ourselves in keeping to the discretion of our high profile guests."

McGee rolled his eyes, "look, I don't want to cause any issues with you or your establishment but we need to find out who used that computer as they used it to make threats to the Director of a government agency and his family. We really do not have time to execute getting a warrant as time is of the essence."

"Well, if time is really of the essence, then I suggest you move swiftly in optaining a warrant Special Agent McGee."

"You do realize that you're harboring a terrorist, right", Bishop chimed in. "If you don't cooperate we could very well easily take you back to NCIS with us for interfering with a federal investigation."

"I know my rights, you have no cause to say I'm interfering in anything. Now, I'm asking you to leave the premises and return when you have a warrant."

While Bishop continued to go back and forth with the general manager, McGee caught someone that looked suspicious out of the corner of his eye. _Where do I know him from?_ He tried not to fully turn his head as the man sat down in the Lobby, clearly waiting for someone. There was something distinctly familiar about him that McGee couldn't place it. _Yaniv?_ He tapped Bishop on her shoulder and waved his hand for her to forget about the manager then signaled for her to look over his shoulder to see the man sitting in the chair.

After looking, she asked, "who is that?"

"I believe THAT is our mystery caller", McGee noted with confidence. Finally, he turned around to look directly at the man as the person he was waiting for came up to him and exchanged pleasantries. McGee walked over, with Bishop closely behind, flashing his badge. As soon as both men saw him, their expressions turned to ones of fear and they took off running. "Hey, come back here!"

"Federal agents", Bishop yelled out as they chased the two men out of the hotel, "stop now!"

* * *

.

* * *

"So, first wine and now tequila ... straight from the bottle." Tony spoke as he walked out on the master suite's private terrace. "What's the problem now Zi? I thought everything was good when you left the cellar."

Ziva lifted her head and took another swig from the bottle. Although she was sitting in a chaise, it was clear to Tony that she was right on the verge of passing the tipsy stage and being full on drunk. He took the bottle from her as she protested, "I am a grown woman DiNozzo. Let me drink!"

"No, I'm pretty sure you've had enough." He sat down next to her, "So, tell me what's got you out of character this time?"

"It is not a what ... it is a who?"

Tony sighed, "please don't tell me it's Tali again?"

"Fine, I will not tell you."

"Zi, what happened?" His voice was more stern but the concern was still evident in his tone.

"Tali ... saw us ... fucking!" She laughed but then got really serious, "she called me a whore."

"She what!?" Tony was instantly furious and rose up from his seated position. "I swear to God, that little girl has lost it! I'll talk to ..."

"Tony", she interrupted, "there is no need for you to go accost her. She was right."

He turned to her with furrowed brows, "now I'm convinced you're drunk. How the hell could you even agree with her?"

"I am only tipsy, not drunk. And I did not agree at first. In fact, I slapped her", she paused to chuckle then sighed. "Can you imagine? Me seriously slapping our daughter who I just rescued from the hands of a pedophiliac terrorist ... and then her wishing she was still locked up in the very cell where that man violated her instead of being safe with her mother?" Raking her hands through her hair, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I broke down to her about Somalia and tried to let her see that she could trust me to help her get through her pain ... then I went and did the last thing any woman who has just survived what she did would do. I went and fucked a man. Not some sensual love making, but rough and unbridled fucking .. and she saw it. I used you for my own benefit to get over my clouded mind, is that not what whores do? What is worse is that after I stopped riding you and left you sitting there ... Saleem came right back."

He sighed and walked towards her, "Zi ..."

"Do not touch me!" She put up her hand in defense then stood. Grabbing the tequila bottle, she left him standing there not wanting anything more than to be alone, drink away her troubles, and forget.

Tony stood there with a mix of emotions. This was one of those moments that he knew better than to go after her. She may have been tipsy, but she was still very capable of hurting him on top of his already evident dislocated shoulder. He felt helpless, but then thought about his daughter and how he needed to set her straight. _At least one of those DiNozzo woman are going to get there shit together! I'm not going to standby while my family is falling apart._

* * *

 **Drama. Drama. DRAMA!**

 **.**

 **I know y'all hate me right now but, I promise, it will get better.**

 **Everything will make sense soon and everyone will heal.**

 **This is just the crazy process of life sometimes and you have to push through the ugliness of brokenness in order to come out restored in a new beauty.**

 **.**

 **Anyhoo ... REVIEW! And let me know your thoughts about me doing a prequel to this story too!**

 **We've got 8 more chapters to our finale!**

 **.**

 **Later peeps!**

 **\- Chide**


	33. Burn

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

 **This is filler because I just had to get this scene out!**

 **Totally doing homework right now but as you can see I got sidetracked.**

Chapter XXXIII - Burn

* * *

He stormed in to her bedroom on a mission, "Tali get up ... NOW!"

"Ugh, what", she grunted.

"Get up Tali!" He was yelling harshly. In no mood to treat her nicely after her deplorable behavior towards Ziva.

"Abba it's late and I'm still jet lagged", the teen rolled over and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness of the lights her father cut on.

Tony didn't care about the lateness of the hour. He was pissed. Beyond pissed. "Dammit, I said get up!"

"Why are you yelling at me!? I'm up", Tali whined in frustration.

"No, I mean get your ass out that bed and follow me, let's go!" His voice shifted to an unusual tone. It was dangerously low and somewhat threatening. Tali wasn't used to it at all. It kind of scared her but, he was her abba so, she felt safe enough to follow him ... even if he looked more than a little angry at her. After she jumped out of bed, they walked to the office. Tony slammed the door behind them once Tali entered completely. She flinched at the sound. He pointed to a couch positioned in the corner of the room, "Sit!"

Tali reluctantly did as she was told and watched as Tony walked over to a hidden compartment in the room that was covered by a large picture of her parents on the day they got engaged. After a few moments a sifting through what looked like a small duffel bag, she looked at him more curiously when he pulled out a very old, very dirty, set of clothing and handed it to her. "What is this?"

"Take a guess."

"I have no clue", she shrugged, "something that seriously needs to go in the laundry. Is this even sanitary for me to be holding with my bare hands? Seriously abba, what is all this stuff on here?"

He looked her with a stone cold face and started pointing at various spots on the clothing to identify them. "Dirt, from the floor she slept on for four months. Sweat stains, from the heat of the dessert sun that made the inside of her cell feel twenty times hotter. Burn holes, from when she was used as an ashtray. Shoe prints, from when they used her as a soccer ball. Tears, from when they ripped those articles off her body to violate her. And her blood, accumulated in pools of stains from the everyday torture she received."

Tali gasped but nothing further could come from her. Speechless, that's what she was. Her heart was pounding in her chest, feeling almost as if she couldn't breathe as she came to the realization of what she was actually holding.

"Those are the clothes your mother was wearing on the day I rescued her from Somalia. After we returned, they were turned over as evidence and locked up at the Navy Yard. However, years later, after we got engaged, I got permission to take them. Your mother wanted to burn them, but I convinced her that we should keep them and lock them up here. She didn't understand why I would want to but after I explained it she didn't protest anymore."

He paused as he took a seat in the chair across from the couch then continued in his explanation. "The events that led up to me rescuing her were life altering, to say the least. I killed her boyfriend, she hated me for it and moved back to Israel. Went back to Mossad and went on a mission. Then I got news that she died in on ship during a storm. Word then came that a terrorist named Saleem was behind her death so I decided to get revenge. I went across the world to kill the man that killed the woman that I still refused to admit I had fallen madly in love with at the time. Little did I know, she was alive and had been locked up in Saleem's camp. It was in that moment that we were facing our possible deaths together that I truly realized I couldn't live without her. And so some years after that, when I finally proposed and she said 'yes', my mind went back to that moment that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to have her by my side forever. For most men, it's the mental image of some bombshell babe in a tight dress, makeup, and high heels. For me, it was when Saleem took that hood off her head and I saw this fragile woman who looked a mess ... but because I had thought she died, and she was sitting before me alive, I found her to be the most beautiful she had ever been. Even in those clothes. It wasn't disgusting to me. I didn't care what was on them. All I cared about was who was in them ... your mother. So, I keep them here in the house where we had our honeymoon, hidden behind the picture of our engagement, as a reminder of what was, what eventually could be, and finally what is."

"I know you probably have nothing to say to me with all of this, and that's really okay for me. But, you need to find some words to say to your mother Tali. She does not deserve the treatment, the utter lack of respect, you gave her. You had no right to discredit what she went through. I know that the last two weeks have been hell for you, but you cannot even begin to understand how much those four months from 22 years ago still affect her. And now, she's trying to help her daughter who just went through the same kind of situation but all you want to do is treat her just like Saleem and his men did. Just like Lucifer and his men did to you. There's always gong to be a mental torment, even after the injuries heal and the scars fade. While she's been trying to save you from yours, you've been pushing her back into hers. Fix it, before you push too far. I need you both to heal. But healing at the moment, starts with you getting your act together and recognizing who the enemy is. Newsflash kid, it's not your Ima."

All Tali could do was nod as silent tears fell from her eyes; while she placed the tattered clothes gently on the couch. She stood up slowly and walked to the door, glancing back one more time at her mother's blood stained clothes before exiting. While she headed back to her room, she thought about what Tony said, and she thought about the right words to say to her mother in the morning. She'd been horrible and completely out of her character. She needed to get over herself asap so she could put out the fire on the bridge between mother and daughter that she had set to burn.

* * *

 **See! Told ya I'd fix it ... well it's kinda fixed.** **LoL!**

 **I'm going to try to have the next chapter up tonight, but not sure how long it's going to take me to finish this paper since I keep getting distracted soooooo we'll see.**

 **Anyhoo, we've got 7 chapters left! Oh, and REVIEW!**

 **.**

 **Later peeps!**

 **\- Chide**


	34. Fascinating!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXIV - Fascinating!

* * *

Tali sat in her room for all of ten minutes before she decided that the apology couldn't wait until the morning. Despite how tired she was, her mind was ticking too much for her to actually be able to sleep. She knew the only way to be able to rest was to fix things with her mother so she got up and wandered the house to find Ziva. After looking everywhere inside, she found no luck until she peaked outside and saw her mother standing on the beach.

She walked out onto the deck then down the steps to the cool white sand. When she stood next to her mother, she looked down and was surprised by the bottle she saw in her hand, "are you drinking liquor?"

"Tequila to be exact, yes", Ziva responded without looking away from the water. "Please, save your judgement for another time, I have had enough of it for one night." Her tone was one of defeat and something else Tali couldn't place ... maybe pain mixed with despair.

Tali sighed, "I didn't come out here to judge you."

"So then why are you here? Surely it is not to join me for a nightcap."

"Can you please look at me?" She waited a moment, but when Ziva kept her eyes trained on the crashing waves she tried again, "Ima, please look at me." With a sad sigh, Ziva took another swig from the bottle then finally turned her head. The display before her broke Tali's heart. She'd never seen her mother look so broken and hurt ... so fragile ... she imagined that this was the woman that her father must have found all those years ago at the terrorist camp. It stirred up emotions deep within her as she struggle to now find her voice, "Ima ... I'm ... I mean ...".

"Just say what it is you want Tali, so you can go. I really much rather drink alone without my 17 year old daughter watching. I am pretty sure that I have been the star of enough shows for you today", Ziva interrupted bluntly.

It was enough to get her thoughts together and finally speak her heart, "Abba showed me the clothes you wore when you were captured. It really gave me new perspective. Actually, it scared me to know how close to dying you were. I mean, had abba not get revenge, I probably wouldn't have ever been born. For you to even make it out of there alive after four months and still evolve to be able to fall in love and have family is amazing. And, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I'm sorry I said all those horrible things to you before. It wasn't right, nor was it fair. My actions were not warranted and I should have never over stepped my bounds. You didn't deserve it. You don't deserve it. I was being childish and selfish while you were only trying to help me. Really, I'm so sorry."

"Are you done?" Ziva kept a stoned expression on her face but her voice hinted that there was something hidden behind her now cold eyes. Tali felt a sting in her chest as she hoped her father wasn't right about pushing too far. All she could do was nod and avert her eyes to the water when her mother spoke again. "Those clothes were from my darkest hour. I really wish I could have convinced your father to burn them but he was so adamant on keeping them. To tell you truth, I forgot those things were even here. I have not been to this island since my honeymoon. Life got so hectic for us after that." She sighed, "I never wanted you or your brother to know the hell your father and I have gone through in the past, as it pertains to the job, but I guess keeping you so sheltered has not served you well at all. Especially when my past has literally become your present. Different characters than that of my own experience, but the main provider of your torment is a man I could have, and should have, killed long before you were born."

Tali looked over at her in shock at the admission but still could not bring herself to speak.

"That is yet another reason why I feel like I have failed you as a mother ... as the person who is supposed to protect you from the evil of this world. Now, I can only pray that when your time comes to be a mother, that you do not make the same mistakes I have made. To some extent, they are the mistakes that my mother made as well. I believe you could break that generational curse of being bound by constant cycles of pain, fear, and hate. That you could be honest in your truth and fully heal. My mother was killed before she could. And clearly I never did, which is why I am here now. I was wrong to think I could help you when I never truly helped myself. I still carry the same pains, fears, and hate that I did back then when I have no cause to. Saleem is dead. I saw his lifeless body on the ground by my feet with a bullet in his head. Yet still, I am afraid of him. I see him in my nightmares. I hear his voice even now as we speak, telling me that I am a worthless whore and I will die alone. And the saddest part is that some part of me still believes that. Even while being married to the best husband in the world, having two beautiful children that make me proud daily, and many friends who care, part of me is still in the desert and I still feel alone."

"Ima, I'm ..."

"Do not apologize again. I have heard you and I am pleased that you have seen your error, but I do not wish to allow your company while I take comfort in my misery. So please, go to bed. Rest and try to dream about anything other than what you have endured in the last two weeks. Do not become me and lose yourself over a past you cannot change. Be better than me. Fight through the lies they told you and the pain they caused. That is how you will heal." She moved closer to her daughter and kissed her gently on the forehead, "Goodnight motek."

Tali hesitated as she thought about protesting leaving but, just like her father, she knew better than to try to argue with her mother when she was in her head. She turned to walk back to the house while calling over her shoulder, "Goodnight Ima, I love you."

* * *

.

* * *

Earlier back in DC, Bishop and McGee had chased down the two men for a block and half away from the hotel before finally catching them. McGee tackled one to the ground while Bishop had the other pressed against the hood of a car.

"Asizange senze lutho!" The dark skinned man that Bishop had cuffed was yelling repeatedly. "Asizange senze lutho!"

McGee scrunched up his face, "what is he saying?"

"I don't know", Bishop responded in complete confusion as to the language the man was speaking.

After standing the man up that he'd tackled, McGee turned him around to see his face. When he got a good look, his suspicions were laid to rest. "Yaniv Bodnar, when did they let you out of prison?" Yaniv just rolled his eyes while he kept his mouth shut.

"You know him", Bishop asked curiously when she pulled out her phone to call for back up to have the two men picked up.

"Yeah, this coward's older brother was the man behind Ziva's father being killed", McGee explained. "I thought he was still in prison. Pretty sure he'll be going back now since he made that call to Ziva yesterday."

"I have done nothing wrong! You cannot treat me like a common criminal", Yaniv shouted.

McGee chuckled, "Yes I can, because you are. Now shut up! You can save whatever you have to say when we get back to NCIS."

* * *

Presently, at the Navy Yard, both suspects were stewing in separate interrogation rooms while Abby was explaining what she had found to McGee and Bishop in her lab. "So, you see, our mystery caller actually used an app to alter his voice. Not enough to hide his accent, but just enough to distort his vocals enough so we couldn't run voice recognition. If I take the distortion out of the voice file from Ziva's laptop, we have a perfect match on the voice recognition for Yaniv Bodnar. I can't believe it was him. I mean, after all these years. How is he even out of prison? This case just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Have you called Ziva and Tony yet? They are going to totally flip. Especially Ziva, oh man, she's probably ..."

"ABBY!" Both agents yelled to stop the hyperactive woman from her ramblings.

"I called the burn phones when we first got back, but neither one answered. That was around 2300 their time so I doubt if they'd answer now, it's almost 1AM there", Bishop told them, looking at her watch.

"Don't worry about it. I'll update them later. I'd rather know more about Yaniv's intentions before they know anyway", McGee said. "I need you to make a run though Ellie."

"Sure, where to?"

"I called in a favor with Judge Benson, he has a warrant for us to take all the computers from the Willard's Business Center and a separate warrant to have access to the room Yaniv was staying in. Take Agent Rollins and his team to execute the warrant but only give minor details about what's going on. Mention nothing about the recent threat to the DiNozzos."

"Okay sure, I got it. Quick question though, how are you going to ..." Bishop's question was interrupted by the beeping from Abby's computer.

"Got him", Abby exclaimed while the two agents looked towards the screen. "The other man you guys chased down is on the SASS terrorist watch list. His name is Dingane Kwanele and they have him listed as the general of The Tribe."

"I'll be damned", McGee spoke in awe. "That's the guy that Hunter told me to find this morning."

"Wait, if he was meeting with Yaniv then they all must be working together. Him, Yaniv, Amadi, Benjamin, Torres ... this is too crazy."

"Yeah, and definitely not a coincidence", McGee shook his head. "Ellie, go and take care of executing the warrant. I want to know what we're dealing with before we interrogate Yaniv and this Kwanele character. They can sit for a few more hours. I'm not rushing this."

Bishop nodded and made her way out. Abby looked closer to the information on their newest suspect, "Judging by his place of birth, I'm going to assume that Kwanele was speaking Zulu to you guys when you arrested him. You're going to need an interpreter when you interrogate him. Do we even have any linguists who speak Zulu?"

"Don't know."

Abby noticed the far off look on McGee's eyes. "Hey, what's up?" After a few minutes, when he still didn't answer, she tapped his shoulder, "You okay Tim?"

"Huh", he jumped slightly. "Uh, yeah I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"What if they're not actually working together for the same cause?"

Abby looked at him puzzled, "not sure I get what you mean."

"Like, what if they all have separate agendas but there's a common denominator? I mean, come on, look at it from another angle. We've got an NCIS agent who's a traitor now, the director of an international government agency, a terrorist war lord, a former arms dealer turned kidnapper, and the brother of a dead rogue Mossad officer. Basically, an envious and money hungry American, two South Africans from seemingly different sides of the social and political spectrum , a racist wannabe German Nazi, and a vengeful Israeli ... they don't actually fit together."

"So you're thinking they're all just playing nice with each other to take out the one thing that has caused problems for them all? And that maybe they'll just mess up some other stuff in the process to use as collateral damage and pull us away their main target", Abby caught on quickly.

"Yeah, exactly. Our government has surely pissed all of them off in someway, who isn't mad at the US these days? But, I can't see all of them coming together just to try to do as Amadi said and bring war to American soil. If that was the case, Yaniv wouldn't have called Ziva making those threats. The DiNozzos wouldn't be a target at all. Everybody's focus should be on Amadi's plan, nothing else outside that realm."

"So, then, what's the common denominator?"

"Ziva, she's their target and the plot against the DC agencies is just a side coverup. Think about it, Ziva accesses all these buildings on a daily basis. It would be very easy for them to take out their target, plus reek havoc on US soil. It's got to be her."

"Why though? I mean, what has she done to Torres to ..", Abby paused as she remembered an incident that happened when she and Ziva both returned to NCIS. "Torres never really got over Ziva catching him doing that evidence switch that got him suspended and fined, did he? Although we all kind of understood why he did it in the end, which is why he still had a job to come back to, but there's still always been tension between those two since then. She didn't trust him completely. And then I can definitely see why Benjamin and Yaniv have something against her since she's the reason they were locked up. But what cause does Amadi and Kwanele have to target Ziva?"

McGee rubbed his head in frustration as he sighed, "I don't know, but I'm going to figure it out. My gut is telling me that Amadi hasn't told us everything. He's the one paying all of them so I know he's chosen each carefully. Ziva, is somehow connected in all of this as the target, I just need to figure out why."

"So basically this is one big collaborative revenge mission?" Abby shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, this has officially become the craziest and most confusing case we've ever worked. It's kinda fascinating!"

* * *

 **Alrighty peeps, now I have everything lined up to bring us to our end ...**

 **We have 6 more chapters and they will move seamlessly into our finale.**

 **Expect a little drama, but nothing too crazy as we want a peaceful finish. =)**

 **.**

 **Anyhoo ... review. Review. REVIEW!**

 **.**

 **LATER!**

 **\- Chide**


	35. Another Long Day

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXV - Another Long Day

* * *

The day turned well into night before McGee left out of interrogation from interviewing Kwanele. Bishop met him in the hallway after leaving the observation room, "do you think he's telling the truth?"

McGee sighed, "Yeah, although he's holding back still. I really hate having to interrogate with an interpreter. Things get lost in translation. Right now, I need Abby to crack that encryption on the laptop we found in his bag. It's probably going to be our best lead in really getting the truth on what he's hiding." In that moment, his phone rang and he checked the caller ID. Showing it to Bishop he chuckled, "speak of the devil." He answered the call, "Hey Abs!"

 _"Lab. NOW!"_ Was all she said before disconnecting the line.

"Think Abby got something, she sounded pretty intense." He informed while putting his phone back in his pocket. "Let's go find out."

Both agents jogged down the hall and took the stairs down to Abby's lab. Within a few minutes, they entered and saw a worried looking forensics expert pacing the floor.

"Uh, Abby, is everything okay?" Bishop asked carefully.

Abby halted in her pacing and pointed to the plasma on the wall. "Everything is NOT okay! We have a serious problem!" The agents moved closer to the plasma trying to figure out what exactly they were looking at. When both looked back at Abby with confused faces she explained, "Since I was getting no where with the encryption key, I decided to take a break and just check Mossad's database for any activity on the jammers they sent out to SASS. Two of them were activated 45 minutes ago but I can't get a read on exactly where they're located. The signals are jumping and every time I get a fix they move. It's like someone is purposely taking them in circles."

"Did you try to remotely deactivate", McGee asked as he walked over to the computer to put in the code that Orli told them to shutdown the devices.

"I tried but they're moving too much for the signal to pick up on it. It shuts off then reboots after a few seconds."

McGee watched the link on the computer do exactly what Abby said. The devices turned off then came right back online seconds later. "Shit! Okay, I need to think."

"What about focusing the trace on the center point of the signals", Bishop questioned. "If we can get a central fix then maybe we can back trace from there."

"That's genius!" Abby pushed McGee over and started trying out Bishop's idea. Her fingers flew over the keyboard at lightning speed. Within a few moments, she locked onto a location that one of the jammers kept circling. "Bethesda!"

"Why the hospital? I thought Amadi's grand plan was targeted at government agencies."

"Because, Ziva still has a reason to go there", McGee sighed. "Hunter is still under our protection and she'd be going to check in with him if they hadn't gone to Maldives. Ellie call Bathesda and have them bump up security around Hunter's room. Abby, call the bomb squad and tell them to get over there immediately with the dogs. Then make sure the device stays active until I clear everything."

"But Tim, if they see heavy police presence they'll just activate a bomb if there's one there. You can't just show up guns blazing."

"Actually, I'm banking on them trying something which is why I want you to keep the jammer activated until we can find whatever they have and them", McGee informed.

"So you're trying to set THEM up when we don't even know who THEY are?" Bishop shook her head as she worried about McGee's plan. "What if something happens before we can intervene? What if we're not even right about the hospital at all?"

"Ellie, finding the central point was your idea and now I'm running with it! Abby, you said it was genius and now I'm agreeing. So, both of you just need to follow my lead and do what I told you to do! If you want to doubt me then I'll someone else to do the job or, better yet, I'll just do this myself!"

McGee left, on that note, with Abby and Bishop standing back in awe. A silence fell between the two women for a few moments before the both pulled out phones to start making the necessary calls.

* * *

.

* * *

In Maldives, the sun had come up and Ziva was sitting her late father's study staring it the picture of her and Tony's day of engagement. While her eyes were fixed there, her mind was somewhere else completely. The hangover she had didn't help matters as she tried to draw herself back to reality as she heard the sound of Tony entering.

"Good morning sweetcheeks, thought you might need this", he spoke softly as he handed her a fresh cup of coffee and some aspirin.

Ziva gave a half smile and whispered, "thank you."

Tony kissed her forehead lightly the walked over to the desk to check any messages from the team on the laptop and phones. He was surprised to see more than a few missed calls and an email with some photos. "Hey Zi, check this out", he waved his wife over from where she was sitting. When she stood behind him, peeking over his shoulder, he pointed to one of the photos, "Bishop sent these. She says they traced the call from your laptop to the Willard downtown. The guy used a computer from their Business Center and altered his voice with an app. The pictures are from the room he and another suspect were sharing. They have them both in custody."

"Who was the one who called?"

"Bishop didn't say but we have missed calls from her, Abby, and McGee. I forgot to bring the phones up to bed last night. It's pretty late in DC now, do you think we should call?"

Ziva thought for a moment and nodded, "we should try McGee, I need to know who made that call."

"Okay, dialing now." Tony waited a few moments but the call went to voicemail. "He's not picking up."

"Then try Ellie."

Again, Tony did as asked but only got the voicemail. He didn't wait for the next instruction as he immediately ended the call and dialed Abby, but got the same result. "No one is answering."

"Well SOMEONE needs to answer", she yelled then immediately put her hand to her head to try and stop the pounding while she groaned.

Tony let out a sigh, "Zi, you have a hangover so I'd advise you to keep your emotions in check. Unless, of course, you want that headache to be worse. Maybe you should go lie down and try to sleep some more."

"I will sleep after I have answers", she huffed.

"Fine then, I'll try Tim again."

This time the line connected after the first ring. " _Not a good time to talk right now, in the hospital doing a sweep with bomb squad. You guys alright?"_ McGee's tone hinted that he was rushing but genuinely wanted to know if his best friends were okay.

"We're fine Tim, just returning your call. Did you just say you're doing a sweep, like for actual bombs?" Ziva looked at Tony with worry after hearing his words.

 _"Yeah, I'll call you guys on video conference when ..."_ He paused and Tony could here someone yelling in the background that they had found something. McGee quickly spoke again, _"Tony, I've gotta go."_

"Be safe Probie." Tony ended the call and looked at Ziva who was asking with her eyes what was going on. He just shrugged, "Tim said he's at the hospital doing a sweep with the bomb squad. He was rushing and it sounded like one of the guys found a device. He rushed off the line."

"Oh God", Ziva took a deep breath, "Tony, what if something happens?"

"Hey", he stood and pulled her in his arms tightly, "Tim knows how to handle himself. Everything will be fine. Him and the bomb techs can take care of whatever it is. I'm not worried. He lied about that last part, truth was, he was scared for his surrogate little brother but he didn't want to worry his wife anymore. They'd been through enough drama in two weeks, and even more in the last 48 hours, he didn't want to add another thing to the growing list of Ziva's worries. Little did he know though, that list had already gotten longer with another piece of Ziva's past sitting in an interrogation room at NCIS.

* * *

.

* * *

"We have proof that you made that call to threaten Ziva DiNozzo and her family. Now, I want to know why?" Bishop's voice was stern while Yaniv smirked and shook his head. She waited for his response for a few moments then spoke again, "Look, you've already been here for almost 12 hours, you can keep playing the quiet game and sit here for another 12 hours or you can talk and we can both get out of here. Your choice."

"I do not care to talk to you. This is not the business of NCIS. This is between Ziva and myself." He looked towards the mirrored glass behind Bishop and shouted, "When Agent Dah-veed is ready to stop being a coward and hiding behind NCIS, I will speak to her and only her! Now come face me!"

Bishop did not reveal that Ziva had fled the country, but rather ignored his outburst all together. "How did you get involved with The Tribe?"

"You must not have heard me, I will not speak to you."

"Welp, you just spoke to me twice so I'm gonna say you're contradicting yourself! That's a little confusing for me. It's hard to take people at their word when they cannot make up their mind on what they want to do. So, did Mohammed Amadi seek you out or did you go to him?"

Yaniv glared at her as he tried to visibly contain his composure. Bishop was not fazed by his death stare, instead she continued to talk. "You know what I think Yaniv? I think you are just a lost soul who has no family left and no one to blame for your mistakes and loneliness, so you decided to take it out on the one person who's left from your past. Which I really don't get because, from my knowledge, Ziva tried to save you and it was your brother who left you to rot in prison."

"Had that bitch not killed my brother, I would have never been in that prison!" Yaniv began yelling again. The mention of his late brother causing him to unravel. "She is a coward and a murderer! She deserves to feel the same pain I have felt all these years! I did what I did back then to help my brother, a man that her father looked to as a son so, technically, he was her brother too! But she did not try to help him or me! She locked me away and never looked back! She killed my brother in cold blood and hid under the protection of this agency! Behind your former Director Vance! Now she hides behind your new Director, her husband, the American who her father would never approve of! She is a discrace to her family and her homeland, she deserves to die! And I will make sure she does by my hand!"

Bishop stood and leaned over the table, "did you just openly threaten a federal agent?" He huffed as he tried to control his emotions and erratic breathing but did not respond. "Now you want to go back to being quiet", she chuckled as she stood back up straight. "Okay, not a problem. I've heard enough anyway. Hope you haven't gotten used to the luxury life, because you'll be going back to your old cot in lockup."

* * *

By the time Bishop has finished her interrogation and secured the transport for Yaniv to be taken back to prison, McGee was returning to the bullpen. "How'd it go", she asked.

"All our theories were right. The jammers were in the move, local leos apprehended two suspects and got the jammers, as well as a remote trigger off one them. The central point of the hospital was the target. And there was a bomb inside. Had Abby not kept the jammers on, the bastards would have blown up the place. The techs disarmed it quickly and they're now taking it to evidence lockup for Abby to look at it tomorrow. I called her on my way back so she could go home. We've all been working hard today, rest is needed. What are you still doing here?"

"I wanted to wait, just in case you ... well ..."

"In case I got blown up?"

"It sounds bad. I know, sorry."

McGee nodded, understanding her concern, "it's okay. And, uh, I want to apologize for the way I came off earlier. This case has got me ..."

"On edge". Bishop finished for him. "It's understandable. Neither I or Abby took it personally. We've all been feeling it."

"Yeah. So, what have you been doing since I left?" He noticed the transport paperwork on her desk and pointed to it.

"Oh right", she slapped her forehead for getting sidetracked. "Yaniv finally talked ... well actually he yelled."

"What did he have to say?"

"Nothing pertaining to Amadi, but he went on and on about Ziva. He really is out for her blood for the death of his brother. For some reason he assumed that she was in observation watching the interview. I just let him keep thinking she was and brought up his brother. When I did, he took the bait and ran with it; openly threatening to kill Ziva. I used it as a good stopping point and reason to have him sent back to lockup. He's adamant, though, about only wanting to speak to Ziva. How do we play it when we bring him in for the second round of interrogation?"

McGee rubbed his head, "not sure yet. I'll let Ziva and Tony give their input when I video conference with them shortly."

"Do you want me to stick around?"

He shook his head 'no'. "Go home, get some rest. You did good today, really. You've earned some sleep and a decent meal. We can get back to it at 0800. Im sure tomorrow is going to be another long day."

* * *

 **FIVE MORE CHAPTERS TO GO!**

 **REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

 **.**

 **LATER PEEPS!**

 **\- Chide**


	36. This Ends Today!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXVI - This Ends Today!

* * *

The news hit them both like a ton of bricks. When McGee called to give a sitrep, the last thing Tony and Ziva expected to hear was that Yaniv Bodnar had been the one take make the newest threats against their family. Even after sitting with the new for a few hours, it was still doing something internally to both of them. Tony, on one hand, was mentally shocked and a little nervous about what Ziva would now do. Despite last night's drunken episode, his nervousness came from what he felt she'd want in a situation like this.

Rightly so, his nerves proved to be warranted as she spoke what the news was doing to her. "I feel like we need to go back home. Being here is not helping us or the team. Especially after what McGee told us earlier."

"From where I'm standing, it's better that we're here. So, why do you want to go home Zi? For another Bodnar revenge mission? What, you want to tie up the loose end?"

"He is in NCIS custody Tony", she spoke harshly as his comment pissed her off. "I am not trying to go tie up any loose ends. I just want closure."

He shook his head 'no' adamantly, "I know that glint in your eye. It's the exact same one you had for big brother Bodnar. You think I'd forget what that looks like?"

"You do not know what you are talking about", she huffed as she turned away from his gaze.

"Yeah, I do. That's why you can't look me in the eye now and that's exactly why we are staying here until McGee closes the case. So, you better get comfortable because it could take another few days."

"What could take a few more days", came a questioning voice at their bedroom door.

Tony looked over while Ziva turned around to see both DiNozzo children standing at the threshold. Tali waiting with a raised eyebrow for either parent to answer her question.

Both sighed and Tony motioned for the kids to enter the room and sit on the bed as he answered, "it could take a few more days for Uncle Tim to wrap up the case."

"And then we can go home?" Tali seemed eager at the news.

Anthony, though, was at all happy. "Awe man, do we have to leave? This place is so awesome!"

Tony chuckled as he tussled his namesake's hair, "It is definitely awesome bud, but you've both been out of school long enough. And there's a pretty DiNozzo princess who has prom in a few weeks and a high school graduation, so we've gotta go back home. We can come back in a month and a half for summer vacation though, how's that sound?"

"Sounds like a good plan, I guess. As long as we stay for the whole summer!"

"Deal bud", Tony smiled and turned his attention to Tali, "how about you princess? Ready to go back home?"

"I've been ready to go home since we left home", Tali responded sarcastically.

"Hmph, I bet", Ziva partly joked as she chimed in. "By the way, Uncle Tim told me to tell you that Hunter asked for you."

"He did?" The teen stared off into space with a goofy love struck grin.

Both DiNozzo men rolled their eyes and Ziva chuckled before getting serious. "While your father wants to stay until the case is closed, I would like to return home immediately."

"As much as I'd love to go home, I want to know why the sudden change? You swore up and down that we needed to be here until the threat is neutralized and it's not." Tali tried to keep her tone as respectful as possible, not wanting to bring back angry Ziva as she saw the glare in her mother's eyes. "I mean, you said you made a judgment call to keep us safe. Wouldn't going back before the case is closed put us in danger?"

"You are right motek, I did make a judgment call when the circumstances were different. The circumstances, however, have now changed and I believe it is in our best interest to return."

"But why? What kind of circumstances?"

"There has been an update in the ca ..."

"Zi, we don't need to tell them about that", Tony objected immediately overruled.

"Yes we do. If I have learned anything from last night, it is that we shelter both of them too much. I am done with keeping our work from them. Past or present." Ziva took a seat on the bed with the rest of her family and Tony finally gave an understanding nod before she explained her desire to leave. "As I was saying, there has been an update in the case. Uncle Tim informed us a few hours ago that another man from my past is the one who made the threat that caused your father and I to bring you here. His name is Yaniv. I practically grew up with him. His older brother, Ilan, was a Mossad Officer under my father's authority. Years down the line, my father decided to change the way Mossad handles their relations with the rest of the world. This is something Ilan did not like and he ordered a hit on my father. Needless to say, your grandfather Eli was killed and I sought revenge for his death. Eventually, I got that revenge by killing Ilan while Yaniv sat in prison for trying to help Ilan evade capture. All these years, Yaniv has wanted revenge for me killing his brother and putting him in prison. He tried to get that revenge before Uncle Tim arrested him yesterday. Now, Yaniv is a very vital piece in solving this entire terrorist case but he refuses to talk unless it is to me. So, I want to do my job and go back to DC so that I may interrogate him, get the answers we've all needed, and end this once and for all. I have a duty to protect our nation and our family. I cannot do that if I am just sitting here while there is still a threat on the US and, most importantly, on my family."

A silence fell over the room when she finished speaking. It lasted a few minutes before Anthony jokingly asked, "so, like, how many people have you actually killed Ima?"

"That's not really important right now III", Tony intervened when he saw the look on his wife's face. He grabbed her hand and squeezed gently while locking eyes with her, "What is important is that we took an oath as NCIS Special Agents to serve and protect the United States, and our Navy and Marine Core across global boundaries. We recognize our badges as symbols of authority and public trust. We live our lives above reproach, with an understanding the our actions reflect upon our fellow Special Agents and our agency." He paused to kiss Ziva's forehead and then looked at his children, "when we became parents, we took another oath. To always do what we have to do for our family. By any means necessary. And sometimes that means being brave enough to do the thing that seems like the wrong decision and trusting your judgement enough until it turns out to be the right one. Your Ima just reminded me of those oaths and that truth. So, we are going to enjoy being on this beautiful island for the remainder of the day and then, tomorrow morning, we will fly back home."

"I get it dad", the youngest DiNozzo spoke seriously this time. "Going back seems wrong because we're still like a target, but it's actually the right choice because Uncle Tim can't solve the case without you guys, especially Ima. Right?"

"Exactly bud. So, what do you and your sister say .. are we gonna trust Ima's judgment on this and follow her lead?"

"I'm down", Anthony said without hesitation.

"How about you Talikins."

The teen looked pensive for a moment then smiled, "Yeah, I trust her. As long as you guys promise to finish this case in the next few days so our lives can finally be normal again."

"That is a promise motek", Ziva kissed both her children on their foreheads than turned to Tony and sweetly kissed his lips to show her gratitude in always having her back.

The kiss, however, lasted a little longer that either DiNozzo child could stomach. Eliciting a harmonized expression of, "ewwwww. So not cool!" Both parents pulled away and laughed before chasing them out the room.

For the rest of the day, they did as Tony suggested and spent it on the beach having fun as a family. Finally taking a moment to just breathe and be free.

* * *

.

* * *

Two days later, Tony and Ziva walked into NCIS headquarters and went straight to Tony's office to find McGee.

"Hey McSubstitute!"

McGee rolled his eyes as he laughed and stood to hug his best friend. "Hey Tony, when you said you were coming back I thought you were kidding." He paused to hug Ziva. "What drew you back?"

"As if you really have to ask", Tony spoke while pointing to Ziva, "you have Yaniv in custody and he wants to talk to this one."

"And I want to talk to him", Ziva added.

"Not surprised, I guess", McGee commented. "Where's Tali and III?"

"School, we've kept them out long enough."

"You feel safe about that?"

"We do", Tony chimed in. "We came back to get our lives back. Threat or no threat, we have to start getting things back to normal. So McTemp, sitrep?"

"Sure, but after you both sign those", he pointed to two documents for return from leave. "While I thought you were kidding about coming back, I still took the liberty of drafting those just in case."

"Always covering us Probie, thanks."

They both signed the forms and McGee began updating them on the events of the last two days that they missed. "Abby took the bomb found at the hospital apart and found an electronic signature that allowed us to trace another bomb that the other members of The Tribe had set. We have deactivated and dismantled it. The only issue is that, Amadi confessed to there still being three more. He claims that the other three are not from him and implicated the other South African. The guy, Kwanele. So, he pissed me off since apparently does speak English. I went back to Hunter about him and he gave me more intel. After that Bishop pressed him and he gave up the reason behind his involvement."

"Did it match your theory of everything coming back to Ziva?"

"Kind of. So, against my theory, Amadi did not recruit him to be here while he was carrying out this plan to bring war to our soil. As his front man, Amadi told him that he needed him to stay in South Africa to make it look better for The Tribe so they wouldn't be implicated in anything before the time came to take credit. Obviously, that backfired since Amadi told on his own self. Now apparently, Yaniv is who recruited Kwanele and paid the fees to get him here. Yaniv convinced Amadi to let his front man do some dirty work for him."

"And how did Yaniv get involved with Amadi and The Tribe at all?" Ziva now questioned.

"We still don't know. Kwanele did not know Yaniv until he was recruited with Amadi's permission. Amadi only calls him an old acquaintance, but hasn't told us how they got connected. And Yaniv still refuses to speak. He hasn't said anything since Ellie baited him the other night."

"Well that's about to change. Get transport to bring him in and put him in Interrogation 3."

The order was clear from Ziva and McGee didn't protest, nor did Tony. Both men knew the look of determination in the native Israeli's eyes. It was about to go down and no one would dare stand in her way. As the call was made to bring Yaniv back to headquarters, both men thought about how this could either go really good or really bad. They trusted Ziva enough, though, to handle it the right way. They all wanted this to be over, but no one as much as her. And she too had similar thoughts as the anticipation hit her heavy.

 _This ends today!_

* * *

 **Bwahahaha! Cliffy ... LoL**

 **Ziva vs Yaniv — interrogation showdown: NEXT!**

 **We're down to four more chapters.**

 **After this end, I will begin posting the prequel to the story ...**

 **Hope you guys will enjoy that one. =)**

 **.**

 **PS - as previously stated, back in school, going for a master's is no joke soooo don't be surprised if the remaining chapters are posted at this crazy late/early hour ... have to balance out fanfic with actual study time and paper writing.**

 **.**

 **Anyhoo, REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

 **.**

 **LATER!**

 **\- Chide**


	37. Loyalty Never Leaves Us

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXVII - Loyalty Never Leaves Us

* * *

The tension was palpable inside the observation room as the entire team— Tony, McGee, Bishop, Abby, and even Palmer, squeezed into the small room to witness the interrogation. On the other side of the glass, inside Interrogation 3, Yaniv sat cuffed to a chair positioned at the table which sat in the middle of them room. An empty chair before him on the table's other side, and the two-way mirror behind it. He silently stared at his reflection in the mirror. Unable to see that he had become a spectacle to be watched by the now veteran squad of what was formerly known as 'Team Gibbs'.

Everyone was waiting for the moment that Ziva walked in. All of them wondering how she'd approach the 'interview'. Would she come in quietly and start with a few light questions? Would she storm in, guns blazing, going straight for the whole truth? Would there be a hint of reservation in her? Would there be a moment of feeling guilty or would she just crush him entirely? They didn't have to wonder too much longer as they watched the door open slowly and Ziva cross over the threshold.

* * *

She moved in silence as she closed the door behind her. Taking the chair that was meant for her, she pulled it as far back from the table as possible until it was flush against the wall where the mirror was and sat down. Never once did she look at Yaniv. Instead, she opted to pick at her nails, inspecting the light pink color that her daughter had painted them the night before their return home.

The silence was deafening. After a few minutes of watching Ziva's calm and relaxed demeanor, Yaniv became annoyed. His voice cut through the silence, "are we just going to sit here or are you going to talk Agent Dah-veed?"

"You will talk Yaniv", she responded nonchalantly without breaking away from the inspection of her nails to look at him. "Whenever you are ready to begin, you may."

He huffed indignantly as he shook his head. "The Americans have made you soft and vain." His comment elicited a chuckle from Ziva but nothing more. She still kept her her eyes on her nails, switching to look at the other hand. The display making Yaniv even more agitated. "You will look me in the eye and tell me why I am here!? NOW!"

"You know why you are here. My agents have already informed you", was her plain response, still not looking at him.

"Your agents? They are just as cowardice as you. Allowing you to hide from your crimes instead of being brought to justice. You are a murderer and you deserve death!" Yaniv's words dripped with venom, but Ziva didn't flinch. She knew her calm was drawing him out, it was her own way of baiting. But, little did she know, he was about to make her have to change tactics. "What a waste of the great David name and legacy! Just like your father, you will die because you have become weak! You are worthless now! Going against your homeland and your people! You abandoned me! You killed Ilan then hid behind your American husband. He will die with you! And, much worse, you have procreated and passed that weakness on to your children! So, because of you, they will die in the fire too!"

At the mention of her children, Ziva finally looked up. Moving so quickly off the chair that she was almost a blur. One moment she was sitting, the next she was towering over of Yaniv. The table that had separated them now slammed on its side against the wall next to them from Ziva forcing it out of her way. She looked down at him with a malicious smirk as a glint of fear became present in his eyes.

* * *

As soon as the table crashed into the wall, everyone in oberservation flinched as they gasped. Everyone, accept Tony. He looked on with a face beaming with pride.

 _That's my ninja._

McGee was the first to try and exit to go stop Ziva from whatever she was about to do next. His movement causing Tony to turn and grab his shoulder to stop him from interrupting.

"Stay right here Tim, let her work", he spoke calmly. McGee gave him the same questioning look that everyone else now was. Tony further explained, "if we interrupt, she will lose focus and Yaniv will feel like he's won this battle."

"But what if she ..." McGee stopped mid sentence as Tony waved his hand to dismis the thought he knew they all had.

"She won't kill him."

 _She might hurt him, but she won't kill him._

The confidence in his voice was all they needed to turn back and watch as the new scene began to unfold. All silently hoping, though, that they made the right decision in trusting their leader's judgement on what the fiery Israeli-American would or wouldn't do.

* * *

"It is not wise, Yaniv, to threaten my children." Ziva spoke in a hushed but very intimidating tone. Her hands were on either side of the chair's armrests gripping his wrists. Creating pains in his pressure points that caused him to wince. A reaction that made Ziva smirk again before she continued to speak. "Contrary to what you have come to believe, I am very far from weak. If weakness had ever come to be my downfall then I would have never been able to overpower Ilan and throw him to his death."

It was now Yaniv's moment to make a critical movement at the mention of his brother, but he couldn't. Being cuffed to the chair kept him immobile. His mouth, however, was not bound so he hurled more vague threats. "You dare boast about killing a man who was your family too!? You have brought shame to yourself and the world will soon know exactly who you are! You will know the same pain you caused me! Your family will know that you are nothing but a ruthless killer! They will watch you pay for the sins you have committed! Death is coming to you Ziva! You will see!"

"And who is going to show me Yaniv? You?"

Ziva chuckled at the thought then proceeded to apply pressure on the points of his wrists. After eliciting another wince from him, she released her grasp and stood straight up. Turning around, she 'pulled a Tony DiNozzo' and walked towards the mirror to fix her hair. She winked as she leaned into her reflection, knowing that Tony was probably on the other side watching her. When she was finished raking her hair out of her face, she turned back around to look at Yaniv and sat back in her chair.

"Yaniv, I do not think you have the ..." she paused to snap her fingers as she thought aloud, "what is the word I am looking for?" She uncharacteristically clapped her hands then pointed a finger at him with a giggle, "Cojones!? Yes! That is the word! You do not have the cojones to show me anything. But, I do believe that you can articulate what it is you wish to do and I will listen intently. Of course, under the condition that you are honest in how your plan for revenge got you mixed in with monsters like Mohammed Amadi and Adolf Benjamin, yes? Now, you may speak."

"Lekh tezdayen kalba!"

Ziva shook her head as she clicked her tongue. "Tsk. Tsk. Yaniv, I am trying to be patient with you but such language makes it very hard for me to keep my composure. Your mother, bless her soul, would be so disappointed. Let us refrain from cursing, yes? I would rather remain seated and hear you out than to get back up and have to teach you how to have a little respect in the presence of a woman."

"Timtzotz li et hazyn!"

"You would like that would you not?" She chuckled at his invitation for her to 'service' him. "Sorry, but that is reserved for my husband ONLY! Now, this is my last warning, al ta'atzben otti. Seriously. You do NOT want to see what can happen if you do."

Yaniv smirked at her threat and boldly spoke, "Bat zonna!"

That comment was Ziva's undoing. She stood, nose flaring and chest heaving, as she made her way back over to him. This time she leaned over behind him, draping her arms over his shoulders in a backwards like hug. Her lips brushing against his ear as she spoke with venom, "Rivka David was not a whore. And now, you have officially pissed me off." Ziva's left hand pressed and pulled firmly on his chest to keep him from squirming, while her right hand flashed a small silver object that she used to inflict a sharp pain that rolled upwards from his neck to his head. The action causing Yaniv to immediately scream at the top of his lungs and made his body shake uncontrollably.

* * *

"Is that a ..."

"Paperclip?" Abby finished Palmer's question with a scrunched up face.

Tony chuckled at the instant memory of Ziva threatening to use a paperclip to kill him in 18 different ways when they were younger agents. "Yes. Yes, it is."

"Um boss", McGee looked on in fear as he also remembered the threat, "doesn't she know how to kill with that?"

"Well yeah, but she won't." Tony had faith that his wife could control herself.

Bishop, on the other hand, was not so sure. "Shouldn't we interrupt now? She could kill him! Plus, this is becoming torture, not interrogation."

"And I'm allowing it", Tony said sternly. "Ziva can restrain herself. She won't go too far."

"Yeah, but how do you know that", Palmer interjected. "Sure, NCIS Ziva would hold back, but she's looking an awful lot like Mossad Ziva right now."

Tony sighed, "guys, I know my wife ... she will NOT kill him. Now hush, he's about to break."

Again, Tony's confidence drew them all back to facing forward and looking through the glass into interrogation. Yaniv let out another scream after Ziva changed positions from standing behind him to standing in front of him. Her body now blocked the view of him from the observation room. They watched her make another movement and everyone flinched when a piercing shriek filled the air.

* * *

Ziva stepped back when Yaniv's body convulsed again. He was no longer the bold threatening man he was a few minutes ago as his lip quivered and visible tears streamed down his face. There was no evidence that Ziva had even done anything to him at all. No physical evidence at least. He wasn't bleeding. There were no bruises. Yet, he was clearly emotionally wrecked and petrified. This new state of being causing another smirk to curl at Ziva's lips. She cracked her neck then walked to her chair. Pulling it over to sit right next to Yaniv now. He flinched when she raised her hand, but she did not touch him again. Rather, she raked her hair then leaned to the side in her chair to look at him.

"Now, how did you get involved with Mohammed Amadi?"

Yaniv blinked hard and struggled to manage his breathing as he answered, "Ma ... Mar ... Marko Johanson. His ... his brother and I were ... in prison together before my release." He paused to clear his throat then went on, "Before I left ... Deeter gave me Marko's contact for business. I called when I got out ... Marko introduced me to Amadi then."

"When did Amadi bring you in on his plan to bring war to the US?"

"Last ... last year."

"Okay. I know why he set his plan in motion, but I am not understanding why I am a secondary target for your little group. Explain that."

Yaniv glared at her, "you are an arrogant bi ..."

"You do not want to go down that road of calling me a bitch again Yaniv. I strongly advise against it." She twirled the paperclip between her fingers and his eyes grew wide in fear. Immediately he looked away, shacking his head as another sign that he'd cooperate. Ziva patted his cheek roughly, "Good boy. Now, why am I a target?"

"Making you a target was my personal vendetta. Amadi is only interested in war. Whether or not you become a casualty was just a bonus for him. I wanted you for myself."

She partly believed him, but didn't try to push further on the truth concerning Amadi. Her only desire was knowing Yaniv's truth."Is that why you convinced Amadi to let you recruit Kwanele? So you could hire him to help take my family and I out?"

"I want to see you burn."

"I believe we covered that part Yaniv." Ziva hit another pressure point that drew a yelp and shudder from him. She stared intently at him until his body and breathing were back under control then continued, "Let's not backtrack. Just answer my questions as they come ... it is less painful that way. Now, answer the question."

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, what, Yaniv?"

"Yes, I convinced Amadi to let me recruit Kwanele so he could help take out you and your family."

"Amadi tells us that there are three more bombs. That Kwanele has them, but your little puppet swears that he does not know where they are. My team informs me that they believe he was truthful in not knowing. That you had not revealed the nature of how you were going to do this hit yet. So, is it true, are there three more bombs?"

"I am done talking now."

Ziva's hand quickly captured his wrist again to apply pressure in a move to keep his hand still as she used her other hand to use her current weapon of choice again, that paperclip.

He screamed at the action then answered through labored breaths, "Yes ... three more ... I have them!"

"Good boy", she released him again and went back to her relaxed lean in the her seat. "Tell me, where are the bombs?"

* * *

The look of astonishment that played across the team's faces in observation made Tony fill with pride again. Sure, what Ziva was doing wasn't how any NCIS agent was supposed to operate, but she was doing what needed to be done to get the job done. Her 'extreme' interrogation tactic was working flawlessly as Yaniv broke down piece by shameless piece.

"I can't believe this paperclip thing actually works", Bishop whispered in awe of the woman who had become her mentor since the moment of Ziva's return to NCIS. She wasn't as 'hardcore' as Ziva, but she admired her enough to to try to emulate at least some of the things she did. _I probably won't be doing the paperclip thing though. How does she even do it?_

McGee just raised his eyebrows and nodded while Palmer blinked in disbelief.

Abby's mind was fixed on how Ziva had done as Palmer said before. _She's definitely Mossad Ziva again._ She shook her head slightly, "It's kinda cool but kinda scary too, she'll turn back to NCIS Ziva after this right?"

"Yup", Tony ensured with a chuckle. "Total and complete relapse when this is all over. Don't worry."

"Shhhh", McGee interrupted lowly. "Yaniv is about to reveal the location of the other bombs."

* * *

Ziva stood and began circling him like a hawk about to settle on its prey. Sliding her chair across the room as she did so. The action done with such force that the chair crashed into the wall by the door causing Yaniv to flinch. No longer could he make eye contact with her. All this time, before coming into this interrogation, he saw Ziva as a coward and weak. But now he was having severe second thoughts. He was rightly terrified of her and wanted nothing more than to go back to prison and never cross her path again. His fear rendering him silent now which wasn't good because Ziva was getting impatient.

"Yaniv, I believe I asked you a question. Must you be reminded of our rule? You will answer every question or you will feel more pain. There is no inbetween. There are no brakes here. There is no way out. I gave you that opportunity 18 years ago and you refused my hand. It was not up to me how long you would have to stay in prison, you brought that on yourself when you did not allow me to help you. Now you have given up your freedom again, and for what? To get revenge when you ultimately know Ilan got what he deserved? I am not negating your hurt for losing him, but I will not allow you to bring that same hurt to my family when they are actually innocent. So, I will ask you again and then we will both leave this place." She stopped her circling and stood in front of him again, looking down at his now completely fragile looking frame. "Where are the bombs?"

He lowered his head even more in defeat, much rather pretending to speak to the flow then directly to Ziva. "They are hidden in a self storage locker near downtown."

"Address?" A moment of silence fell again. Ziva flocked his ear as if to loosen the wax and amplify his hearing causing him to flinch again. "Address, Yaniv!?"

"Sev ... seventeen zero one ... Florida Ave ... Nor ... North West."

"And why did you set them there?"

He took a deep breath to control his shaky voice then answered, "They are not set yet. I was meeting with Kwanele to give him the information on where to set them when your agents chased us down."

"I see", she nodded and stepped away to stand by the wall, a sign to whoever was watching in oberservation that she was almost done. "And where were you going to have him set them?"

"One at your house. The other two here at NCIS."

"Have you now told me everything?" He only nodded in response. "Will there be anymore threats or attempts on my family and myself?" Again, he nodded. "Has the threat to national security been neutralized in our capturing you, Kwanele, Benjamin, and Amadi?" A third nod came. "And, finally, are you absolutely sure that all of this insanity is over? I want to close this case before I walk out of this building today."

"I am sure", he spoke in a hushed tone. His voice cracking as he did so. "It is over."

Ziva tilted her head with a raise eyebrow, "look at me." Yaniv reluctantly did as he was told as she closed the gap between them one last time. "Ilan failed you ... just like he failed me. What is sad is that all of this could have been avoided, 18 years ago, had you just cooperated and probably gotten Ilan to cooperate as well. You would have been free and maybe he would have been alive. Who knows? I cannot really say. But, what I do know is that you would have gotten away with this had you not been so bold as to call me with your threats. Again, Ilan failing you by being estranged all those years from you when he was alive. Maybe your brother could have taught you the Mossad art of moving in silence. But, I digress, none of those what ifs matter now. Honestly, I think you called because you were torn by the lust of revenge and the fear of actually being someone you are not in your heart. Because, no matter how angry you get, there is still a part of you that is still the caring boy I knew as a child. The boy who's heart would never let him hurt anyone. The one I knew before all of us grew up in a war torn world. It is truly a shame things had to end up like this. You had a chance to start over, but now that chance is gone."

She stood up straight again and walked to the door. As she opened it to leave she spoke over her shoulder, "Just so you know, killing Ilan was hard for me. It took its toll over time and, believe it or not, I had to grieve him too. There are still nights that I wish things had been different for all of us, Yaniv. I truly wish our lives could have been different."

"Why do you still care?" The tremble in his voice stopped her from exiting completely. Ziva turned to look at him once more, and he finally looked back at her with saddened tears falling. Regret and confusion showing in his eyes as he asked, "Why would you wish for our lives to be different? What was done should no longer be a concern for you."

Ziva sighed, "Maybe you are right in this moment. But 18 years ago, we had a chance to become different people. We could have chosen the path that did not bring pain, yet we did. My reason for still caring, Yaniv, is the same reason you chose the path you did the night we sat next to each other on that plane."

"And what is that reason?"

"Because", she turned back to fully leave this time. Speaking his own words to him as she closed the door, "'loyalty never leaves us'".

* * *

 **Sooooo ... 37 down, 3 to go.**

 **How did y'all feel about this chapter?**

 **Review & let me know.**

 **.**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	38. Spy Boy

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXVIII - Spy Boy

* * *

Ziva's desire to have the case wrapped by the time the work day was over was fulfilled. Right after she left interrogation, Yaniv and the other terrorist involved in the case were formally charged and were set to be transported to GTMO to await trial for their terrorist plotting against the US government, the attempt and execution of a terrorist attack on a government building (safehouse), threats to federal agents, kidnapping and torture ... and a few more things to round up the list. In a final 'interview' that Tony did with Amadi, he gave up the location of the rest of his men that were stationed in DC. A separate team was sent to take them down and were successful in capturing all of them. Bishop and McGee, with the bomb squad, went to the storage locker that Yaniv spoke of to retrieve to last of the bombs which were then brought back to headquarters and dismantled by Abby.

By the time 1900 hit, everyone's reports were finished and it was officially time to celebrate the case being closed. And what better way for everyone to celebrate then to go to their respective homes and finally see their families? Not to mention, get some much needed sleep. As a gift for working so hard, and for having his family's back, Tony gave the team the rest of the week off and took them off of weekend duty. They had earned the five days of paid vacation and they were more than eager to take it. Before he could barely get out a proper 'good job' and 'goodnight', they had all rushed out of his office and headed out of the building.

All, except for Ziva, of course. She stood before her husband with a weary smile. Her eyes speaking just how much the day and the entire case had taken a toll on her physically and mentally. Tony pulled her close and kissed her lips softly before speaking, "What do you say we go home, have a glass of wine, and take a nice hot bubble bath sweetcheeks?"

Ziva let out a small giggle, "that sounds wonderful ..."

"But?" Tony raised his eyebrow at her pause.

"But, you made our daughter a promise to do something today which you still have yet to do." She chuckled when he rolled his eyes at the recollection of his promise to Tali. On the plane ride back to DC, he had promised to go talk to Hunter as soon as the case closed. It was a promise he rather hold off on fulfilling until tomorrow. Unfortunately, his wife had other plans to ensure he kept his word. "We wrapped the case Tony. It is time to keep your word. This is really important to Tali and I do believe it can be done, but you have to have a conversation with Hunter so he knows hope is not lost. Plus, besides Tali's request, you need to let him know about us closing the case on his father."

Tony sighed, "Ziiiiii, can't it wait until tomorrow? Visiting hours are almost over anyway and I don't feel like rushing that conversation. Plus, the kids are staying with Grandpa Gibbs tonight. We have the house to ourselves babe. I'd much rather go home with my wife, take a bubble bath, and then maybe we can do that chair thing again you did at the beach house? Along with some other activities." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as she chuckled. "Come on, my arm is feeling much better. And I'm so ready to fully have my way with my little sexy ninja." He kissed her lips again then traveled to leave a trail on her neck which elicited a soft moan from Ziva. The sound drawing a smirk on his lips when he pulled back slightly to look in her eyes again. There, he found what he was looking for— conflicted Ziva. Partly wanting to go home immediately and enjoy her husband; partly wanting to drive to the hospital so he could have the necessary conversation he promised. Naturally, he kissed her again, this time deeply with searing passion. It was always his go to move when he wanted to get his way. A move that usually worked ... usually.

"You are the director of a government agency, since when do visiting hours apply to you?" She spoke in a low tone as the both broke the kiss for air. The few seconds to get their breath back was enough for her to shake her lust and focus on what was more important. "You made a promise, now you will honor our daughter by keeping it."

"Ugh! Come on!" His whining was met with a glare. He put his hand up in surrender, "Fine. But only if you promise to do the chair thing as soon as we get home."

"I will not make promises just so you will keep your promise", she chuckled then pulled away from him to grab her bag and car keys. "Now, let's go DiNozzo!"

* * *

An hour later, after making a semi quick stop, Tony found himself walking into Hunter's hospital room and was surprised at how different the young man looked in comparison to how he remembered seeing him that night the safehouse blew up. He looked stronger and much more alert, making the reason for Tony's visit seem much easier.

"Hey spy boy!"

Hunter chuckled at the nickname and sat up to look at Tony. "You know, sir, when Tals told me that you nicknamed me 'spy boy' I partially didn't believe her. But now that you've said it, I think I owe her an apology for doubting her."

Tony let out his own chuckle, "yeah, she hates the nickname, but I think it fits." He smiled then his face turned serious. While it was good to see that the boy had a sense of humor, Tony was here on business. The look he was giving caused Hunter to straighten up more and clear his throat. It was obvious the 19 year old was intimidated. Not in the typical fearful way, but in the way that spoke to just how much respect he had for Tony ... even if they barely knew each other.

After silence had blanketed the room for a few minutes, Tony finally expressed the need for his visit. "So, my daughter tells me you don't want to go back to SASS. That you'd rather stay here as a liaison at NCIS. While I'm grateful of how cooperative you've been in helping us close out this case, I'm still just as reluctant to have you working with my agency as I was before all this started. Obviously, you are a good soldier and a skilled operative, but you're still very young. And given the circumstances with your fathe ..."

"Mohammed Amadi is not my father anymore, Sir. He's nothing more than a sperm donor to me now. I do not want to be associated with a liar and a terrorist. If you came here just to tell me that you do no want me at your agency because I had the misfortune of being conceived by such a disgusting excuse for a human, then there's really no need for us to talk. You can tell Tals you came and, in a few days, you gain tell her that SASS didn't approve. I know you only came because she asked you to, not because you really wanted to. It's okay, really Sir, I don't blame you for whatever ill feelings you may have of me now. Guess that comes with the territory now of being labeled the son of a terrorist."

Tony looked at him curiously and pondered the words of his abrupt interruption. His mind went back to the night at the safehouse again, when Hunter had asked we he should do if his father was really behind everything. It seemed he figured out his answer and dropped the man from his life. The hate in Hunter's eyes making it evident that there would never be any sort of forgiveness in the years to come. It also showed his determination to get as far away from the stigma as possible. Shockingly, it made Tony start to change his mind about why he was there.

"Listen", Tony sighed, "To be honest, despite my reservations, I came here tonight to tell you that I would try to see what I could do about allowing you at NCIS as a liaison for a little while once you get out of the hospital. The position would strictly be a desk job. Meaning no field work or interacting with suspects in interrogation, but I don't think that's fair to you." Hunter's eyes softened and Tony could see that the young officer really was hopefully he could stay, despite his angered protest that he'd figure comething out. It was clear that , behind the anger towards his father, he was a lost little boy again that needed help to find his way.

Tony knew this wasn't a time to be Director of NCIS. He needed to speak the truth, as only a real father could. So he continued, "You are not Mohammed. You are Hunter. And have no right to hinder your progression because of someone else's poor judgment and life choices. My old boss, the man that shaped me into being the man I am today, has these rules to live by and I think rule number five falls into play here."

"What's rule number five, Sir?"

"That would be, 'you don't waste good'. Given your short military background and work as an operative, I know you are highly skilled and still young enough to be trained towards be even better. I'd be an idiot not to teach you how to be the best you can possibly be. And I believe you would be an even greater asset to NCIS if you worked with us ... not just behind a desk, but also in the field and other areas of our agency. However, I also believe deserve a chance at having the life you want. You're only nineteen and spent your whole life following orders from a man who only cared about himself. He never stopped to ask you what you wanted or even needed. But, now he's going away for the rest of his life and you have to opportunity to start over. This is a clean slate for you. It's solely your choice. If you want, I can call the acting director of SASS in the morning and have your paperwork squared away by the afternoon to stay on with me at NCIS. Or, you can choose to do something else with your life. The decision is yours. So, tell me, what is it you truly want? Who do you want to be?"

Hunter only took a few seconds before he answered with a smile, "I don't want my good to go to waste Sir. I want to stay here and work with you and NCIS. I want to be a better man, a better soldier, a better spy boy."

Both men laughed at the nickname again then Tony nodded, "okay spy boy, you're unofficial officially back on a Officer Amadi, liaison at NCIS! I'll make the necessary calls tomorrow and come back to see you in the afternoon to have you sign your renewed orders. Sound good?"

"Yes Sir, thank you ... oh, and can you tell Tals I said 'thank you too'?"

Tony smirked as he pulled a phone out of his blazer pocket, "you can tell her yourself. I programmed her number and mine in there."

Hunter took the phone confused, "Wait, this is for me to keep Sir?"

"Yup! I was indecisive at first but I figured since we got blown up together, and I needed a new phone, that you probably needed a new phone too. Picked it up on my way here. Almost forgot about it", Tony chuckled. "That will also count as your official work phone so, after you get released, make sure Agent McGee and Agent Bishop get that number. I'm putting you on McGee's team as soon as you're cleared for work."

"Yes Sir. Thank you again. This means a lot to me. Not just the phone, but everything you've done and you're going to do to help me." A few tears fells from his eyes before he even realized his emotions shifting. "I promise I won't let you down."

Tony smiled and shook his hand. "I know you won't. I'm going to go now but I'll see you tomorrow. Make sure you rest up, alright? Goodnight spy boy!"

* * *

 **Much needed moment of filler here.**

 **Thought Hunter deserved to know his fate.**

 **.**

 **Anyhoo, 2 more left! How y'all feeling?**

 **Me? I'm tired. LoL ... school's got my time jacked.**

 **Next chapter soon come though!**

 **.**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


	39. No!

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XXXIX - No!

* * *

"We have two more weeks! I was thinking maybe a subtle green with gold accessories. What did you have in mind? I personally love the way you look in green. It is a beautiful color on you", Ziva mused as she went through photos of prom dresses on Tali's laptop. It had been a week since the closing of the case and everything was close to normal again. Including Tali's excitement about prom and graduation. At least, that's what Ziva thought. After a few minutes of silence, she looked up and noticed that Tali was no longer interested in the topic of prom. She had a far off look that Ziva knew all too well and it pained the mother to see that her child had gone there. Quietly, she rose from her seated position at Tali's desk and gently sat next to the teen on her bed. She lightly placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder and made sure she was in her line of sight as she softly spoke, "Motek?"

Tali jumped slightly at the realization of contact as she came back to reality. She looked at her mother confused. "Huh? Did you say something?"

Ziva sighed, "Yes, I was talking about what color dress I thought would look nice on you."

"Oh, sorry. Guess I blanked out." Tali raked her fingers through her hair as she took a deep breath. "What were you saying?"

"I said green, but that does not matter right now. You went far away from here. Are you okay?"

The teen gave a half nod and quick response. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine."

Ziva raised her eyebrow to sign that she wasn't convinced. "Sweetheart, you do not have to say that you are fine if that is not how you really feel. I know exactly where you went, so I know you are not at all fine. Tell me, what about this topic of prom took you back to that cell?"

Tali didn't try to hide the shutter that went through her as she thought about it again. She took a moment to get herself together then answered, "My scars. I'm not going to look pretty in a dress with them."

"Oh, motek." Ziva pulled the sad teen into her arms and kissed the top of her head gently. "You are still a very beautiful young woman. Scars or no scars, you will be the most gorgeous girl at that prom. I promise you."

"As much as I want to go and just be a normal senior, I feel like I can't now, you know?" Her voice cracked as tears started to flow from her eyes. "I feel like whatever I wear will not be able to cover the disgusting truth. I wanna hideaway! I just feel so ugly! So ashamed!"

"Shhhh", Ziva held her tighter and shook her head as she rocked the weeping teen, "you have nothing to be ashamed of Tali, do you hear me? You are beautiful and strong. You have survived something that most people cannot. Never be ashamed of who you are and what you have overcome. Your scars are just proof of how amazing you really are. That you could survive hell and still have a remarkable heart and beautiful soul. You cannot heal if you try to hide away, motek. Do not hide from it, face it head on. No one is going to judge you. You said yourself that your classmates have all been happy to see you back and have been really supportive of you. They have been understanding of what happened, yes? You have had how many boys ask you to the prom since you have returned to school, what was it four?"

"Five", Tali corrected softly through her tears.

"Five?" Ziva pulled back slightly and gave Tali a puzzled look.

She blushed, "Hunter asked to escort me if my school allows outside dates."

"Okay, five", Ziva spoke slowly as she looked in awe at her ever blushing daughter. After a moment, she drove her point home, "Five different boys asking you to be their date is a major deal, yes? They all think you are the prettiest looking, smartes, and most fun girl and they want to be seen with you ... even with scars, motek. So, you see, you do not need to fret about anyone seeing you in a dress. Besides, there are dresses that do not show too much on that website you were looking at. Or we can get something custom made so you can design it for your comfort, how does that sound?"

A response came from Tali looking in Ziva's eyes and gaving a half smile of gratitude for reminding her of how beautiful she still is. It may have seemed vain to someone else but, in her case, Tali absolutely needed to hear it.

Ziva kissed her forehead as she moved one of the arms that was wrapped around the teen to lift her hand and wipe away the remainder of Tali's tears. "Will it make you feel a little better if your back was not out? I know that is probably where you fear people seeing the most, just as it used to be for me. Maybe we can find a dress cut like the top of my wedding dress, yes? One with your arms out but your back mostly covered?"

"Yeah", Tali whispered, "that would make me feel a lot better. I love the idea of something custom ... Sorry I panicked for a sec."

"You have no reason to apologize. I just want you to be secure in who you are and to feel comfortable in your skin. That will take time, I know, but we have to try to work on finding peace and comfort. One step at a time, yes?"

Tali let out a shuddering sigh as she tried to level her breathing again. "Yes ima, one step at a time." She hugged her mother tighter and felt a little more secure. "I was thinking green too."

"Great minds", Ziva chuckled.

Their embrace was released once Tali's cell started ringing. Ziva instantly knew who was FaceTiming the teen when her daughter's face lit up. Tali quickly wiped away the tear stains on her cheeks and answered excitedly, "Hey Hunter!"

 _"Hey Tals! What are you up to?"_

"Um, nothing really, just looking at prom dresses with my Ima", she paused to turn the phone towards her mother and Ziva waved. When Hunter waved back, Tali turned the phone to face her again showing a dazzling smile that could only be described as 'the DiNozzo smile'.

Ziva lightly chuckled at the display as she got up to leave the room and allow their FaceTime call to be private.

As the door closed softly, Tali let out a giggle at the faces Hunter was making over the camera. She took a moment to get herself together when he stopped making faces and moved the phone back slightly showing off his scarred but otherwise perfect abs. After staring a little longer than expected, she shook her head and asked, "So, what's up? You look very comfy in your new apartment ... nice abs by the way."

"Thanks, I think they look nice too", he joked then looked around his living room once before looking back at Tali. _"And, it's only been three days, but I'm really liking this place. Best part of the South African government and SASS doing a late investigation on Mohammed is that they're still really pissed off at anyone named 'Amadi'; which means I don't have to stay guarded at those old musty embassy apartments. This downtown loft is way more my vibe."_

"I still feel kind of bad that they're treating you like you're damaged goods just because of his betrayal", Tali stated sadly. "It's not fair you had to basically uproot your life and start over because you chose to extend your stay."

 _"Hey, it's all good. I don't care about them and I don't mind starting over. Technically, I'm still a SASS Officer and a highly ranked soldier. What they're doing right now, prying into my life and revoking certain privileges, is just the politics of it all. They're just doing their jobs. Everyone knows I'm innocent. It's not a big deal, really. And, anyway, I didn't call to make you sad or talk about South African politics or SASS investigations. I have better reasons for showing off my muscles on a video call."_ Hunter gave her a look that she couldn't quite read. He was flexing and staring intently, causing a feeling to spark within Tali that she didn't know how to describe ... it was good though.

She met his gaze with an inquisitive smirk, "So then, why did you call?"

 _"Well, it's funny I called while you were looking at prom dresses because I'm calling to get my answer. You said you'd let me know Friday if I could have the honor of taking you to your prom ... it is now Saturday. I'm getting impatient",_ Hunter chuckled and raised his eyebrow suggestively. _"Figured if I showed you how good I looked without a tux, you'd want to see what I look like in a tux."_

"Mmhmm, I can see that", Tali spoke shyly as she mentally screamed at herself for blushing and biting her lip. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on his face only. "Well, my guidance counselor says there is no rule against bringing an outside date, as long as they are under the age of twenty. That being said, you would be allowed to take me ... if, of course, I said 'yes' to your offer." Suddenly her confidence came back and she, for some reason, decided to tease a little. "But, I'm not sure if I actually want to go with you. I mean, I had four other offers before you from guys I actually know very well and who are very VERY cute."

 _"Hmph",_ Hunter rolled his eyes dramatically, _"cute is for puppies, Tals. Why go with a 'cute' guy who you know, when you can go with a very sexy guy who's still a bit mysterious? Plus, I have an accent! Girls dig guys with accents ... so I've heard."_

"So, you think you're sexy?" She quipped quickly while giving him a less than innocent smirk.

 _"Ahhh! Oh wow!"_ Hunter feigned hurt for a moment then flexed again with a smile. _"You and I both know I'm pretty damn sexy. Allah made no mistakes in sculpting this immaculate body."_

Tali laughed, "I didn't know you were so vain." She paused then gave him another look over. In a voice that even surprised her she said, "I suppose I can be honest and say that I do find you sexy ... Extremely. Sexy."

 _"And I find you extremely gorgeous .. since we are being honest."_ His tone went lower and, to Tali, his eyes became even more 'dreamy'. _"I would love to see you all dressed up. Dance the night away with you. You can't deny it, we'd be a smashing couple! Come on, just say yes already!"_

"Yes."

* * *

.

* * *

Downstairs, Tony hadn't registered that Ziva had sat on the couch next him as his eyes were glued to the TV watching a 'Bond Marathon'. Not, of course, until Ziva cuddled up against him and kissed down his jawline. His eyes dropped to her and he smiled contently, "Hey sweetcheeks!"

"Mmm, Hey my little hairy butt."

Tony kissed her softly then pulled her in closer before returning to watching his marathon. It was hard to keep focus though, as Ziva went to kissing his neck. He stifled a moan and leaned his head to the side, knowing that she obviously was not going to let him watch his favorite movie. "Someone is in a very good mood", he spoke in a husky tone.

"Very", was all she could say before Tony captured Ziva's lips in a passion filled kiss. Neither wanting to breakaway but Ziva's ninja senses were tingling. They pulled away just as their youngest child came running into the living room panting. By the look on his face, they knew nothing was actually wrong but Ziva still asked, "Are you okay Anthony?"

"Yeah", the 12 year old nodded vigorously as he tried to catch his breath, "just ... need ... money ... ice cream ... truck ... coming!"

Ziva burst out laughing while Tony rolled his eyes and reached for his wallet in his pocket. When he pulled it out, he threw the entire wallet at his son for the untimely interruption he had no idea he just made. "Go. NOW!" Tony all but yelled at the boy who didn't have to be told twice. As fast as he ran into the house, Anthony ran out even faster with a huge smile on his face.

"Are you sure that was a good idea? Giving him your entire wallet?" Ziva was still laughing at the humorous quick encounter, but she knew her son had no sense of sparing money ... especially Tony's money ... so, she had to ask.

Tony didn't seem to care. "There's 100 bucks in there", he said nonchalantly as he started kissing his wife again. "That should hold him off for a while."

"Mmmhmmmm, it should", Ziva's voice matched Tony's husky voice from a few moments ago before the intrusion. Unlike her husband, she did not stifle her moans when he kissed her neck which drove him back into the passionate kissing frenzy he started before. Things got hot and heavy instantly as Ziva repositioned herself onto his lap. Never breaking the kiss as her legs straddled his waist and her hands roamed his chest. Just as Tony's hands cupped her ass, and Ziva's ninja senses starting failing from the euphoria of lust and love, there was yet another interruption.

"Ew! Really you guys!?"

"Oh come in!" Tony shouted as his head dropped back in frustration that they were being interrupted for a second time.

Ziva's head dropped into the crook of Tony's neck as she laughed at being caught by her daughter again. This time though, Tali voiced her disgust in a mocking manner.

"What is it with you two and chairs?"

Tony glared at his all too bubbly teen for her intrusion and her, seeemingly, lack of desire to leave expeditiously.

"Actually", Tali put her hands up in surrender, "I do NOT want to know!"

Ziva sighed as she finally stopped laughing and, despite his nonverbal protest, moved off of Tony's lap to sit back on the couch. "Sorry motek. I forgot you were even here. This is my fault."

"Did you need something", Tony asked in a huff.

Tali nodded and chuckled at her father's frustration. "Just ima's car, then you two can totally go back to ... whatever ..." She waved hands pointing between her parents, "Whatever that was about to be ... Ugh! Please quickly I need your keys, totally getting a mental image I thought I got rid of when we left Maldives. Sooooo nast!"

Ziva rolled her eyes and looked at Tali, "First of all, there is nothing wrong with a wife enjoying her husband. Second, where are you going? And third, you cannot drive my car."

"First, still EW!" Tali's face twisted up feigning disgust, then she got serious again. "Second, I was going to drive over to see Hunter's new apartment then we were going to hangout and figure out our prom outfits. Third", she paused to pout and give puppy dog eyes, "why can't I drive your car?"

Ziva ignored the look and remained unfazed by Tali's attempt at getting her to cave. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time you drove my car? I am not giving you my keys."

"That was totally NOT my fault! I promise I will be extra safe and drive slow! No crashing this time! Plus, dad was helping me practice before and I've gotten way better." The teen turned to her father for support. "Abba, pleaaasseeee, help me out here!"

Tony shook his head and was still stuck in the prom part, "um, since when are you and Spy Boy going to prom?"

Tali threw her hands in the air and she let out an exasperated sigh, "Since about 10 minutes ago, now can you please tell Ima to let me borrow her car?"

"Hey, he does not need to tell me anything. I already said no. And why is it always my car you want to drive anyway? Your father has a perfectly good car!"

"Oh no! My car is vintage and off limits! Did you not see what she did to your car the last time?"

Ziva looked at Tali with a victory smirk, "See, my point."

"Fine", Tali pulled out her phone, "I'll just take Uber."

"Pause", Tony blurted out as he stood. Finally things were clicking in his head again, "You're going to Spy Boy's apartment ... alone?"

"Well yeah, why?"

"Uh, does no one see the problem in my 17 year old daughter going to a 19 year old boy's apartment alone?" He looked between both DiNozzo woman in total disbelief. "Seriously!?" He started rubbing his head to keep the incoming headache at bay, "No! Not happening!"

"But dad ..."

"Hunter can come here if you want to hangout", Tony interrupted sternly. "But you are not going to his apartment to be alone with him! I'm not having that!"

Tali looked to Ziva for help this time. After a quick moment, Ziva sighed and reached for Tony's hand. "My love, while I do not trust Tali driving my car, I do trust that she can go to Hunter's and be a mature young woman."

"That's exactly what I DON'T want", Tony huffed. His eyes were fixed on Tali as he continued, "He's a 19 year old hormonal boy and you are a love struck 17 year old girl with a crush on said hormonal boy. I don't want you in his apartment alone, being a 'mature young woman', no way! Mature young women come back pregnant and I am NOT ready to be a grandpa!"

"You really think I'm going over there to have sex?" Tali scoffed then shook her head. "In case you forgot, a lot of bad things happened to me a few weeks ago. Things that Hunter bore witness to. Neither one of us are thinking about sex right now. And, even if he was, he wouldn't try it because he knows I am no where near ready for that!"

The face she made at Tony was one he'd seen before, but not from Tali ... from her mother. That was the look that told him, once again, he wasn't thinking clearly and his own unwarranted fears were the cause of his clouded mind. He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to this you and Spy Boy thing, okay?" There was an eye roll and he knew why, "Sorry again, you and HUNTER are still something I am trying to wrap my head around. As your father, I will undoubtedly dislike and not fully trust any guy who shows any type of interest in you. It's just a dad thing. But, still, I know better than to think you'd go over there to do anything like where my mind went. Sorry kiddo. I have no problem with you going over to his place. Forgive me?"

"I get it, thank you, and you are forgiven." Tali walked over and hugged her father. After the sweet moment was over, she pulled away and looked at both her parents with a smile, "now see how easy it was for me to forgive? You guys should do the same thing and let me drive your ..."

"NO!"

* * *

 **Sooooo, this was supposed to be posted days ago BUT writing papers and dictations has had me fairly focused on school.**

 **ANYHOO, I loved this chapter. And the next on is the last one.**

 **After this story ends ... in the next few days ... I will start posting its prequel titled 'Everything'.**

 **For now ... I have a hot date with my pillow and blanket ... this boy is TIRED!**

 **.**

 **Later Peeps!**

 **\- Chide**

 **P.S. - I know it seems like Tali's mind was headed for sex in the beginning but, remember, she's still young and definitely still finding her emotions. That's exactly what this chapter is showing in different ways.**


	40. Not Easily Broken

**_Disclaimers disclaimed._**

Chapter XL - Not Easily Broken

* * *

 _. Epilogue ._

While the backyard was buzzing with laughter and chatter from people setting up for the party, Tali sat in her room partly sad as she finished up applying her makeup. She let out a deep sigh looking over at the photo of her and Hunter from the night of her prom. It was hard to believe that four years had passed by and now a new chapter of life was starting. In two weeks she'd be graduating from Juilliard with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance then, following summer vacation, she would be moving to Paris to begin performing in her first major ballet. It was even harder to believe that the same day she was set to graduate would be the same day that she had been kidnapped four years ago. The thought of which still sent a chill down her spine but, regardless, she had grown to live as a survivor and found a way to see the beauty in her scars ... _just like Ima taught me._

A familiar knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts. She knew immediately who it was by the annoying cadence of the beat from the person still banging. Rolling her eyes and laughing she called, "Come in III!"

Anthony came in with a smile, bearing a large gift box in his hands. The now 16 year old dropped the box on Tali's bed as he plopped down on it as well. "Hey birthday girl!"

"Hey twerp!" Her eyes fell on the large box beside her little brother, "what's that?"

"That", he pointed, "is your birthday gift! Totally had to save my allowance for a month which was NOT easy, but I think it was worth it."

"Sooo, can I open it now?"

"Duh! That's why I brought it here."

Tali laughed and walked over to the bed. Ripping open the wrapping paper like a little kid on Christmas, she chuckled when she finally got the box opened and removed the tissue paper. Inside held a gift basket with all the essentials she would need for a proper birthday celebration.

"Figured since you're 21 now, you'd want to get wasted! That is your first official 'Oh Shit! Kit'", Anthony laughed.

"Shot glasses, small trash can, mixology kit ... but how did you manage to buy liquor?"

"Shhh, don't tell mom and dad but one of my teammates has a fake ID and hooked me up."

Tali shook her head, "it's our little secret."

"So, how do you feel? Can't believe my annoying face sister is 21 now and about to move to Paris! I might actually miss you for real. At least New York isn't far, but Paris? Seriously, that's a long flight to get you here to save my ass when Ima and Abba are pissed at me.""

"You will survive, don't worry. And I feel normal I guess", she shrugged. "21 is a major milestone but I'm not quite as excited about today as I thought I would be."

Anthony nodded knowingly, "Because Spy Boy is off on a mission instead of here to celebrate with you?"

After four years, the nickname still annoyed her but, Hunter seemed to love when her father and brother called him that. She rolled her eyes as she always did at hearing it then answered, "Yeah. I get he has a job to do, but I still wish he was able to be here. I haven't spoken to him in three and a half weeks. I hate these undercover missions."

"I get it. But, you shouldn't stress it. He loves him some Tali and he should be back soon. Dad even said that he'd be going with us to Maldives, so at least you know you'll see him next month."

"Unless I see him tonight, I'm going to keep stressing it."

Anthony just smiled and raised his eyebrow, knowing more than he was actually letting on. _You have no idea what's coming big sis!_

* * *

A few hours later, Tali's birthday party was in full swing. Despite how she felt earlier, she was managing to have a good time with close friends and even closer family. Tony and Ziva watched with proud smiles as Tali and Anthony danced in the yard in the middle of a crowd cheering them on.

"I cannot believe we have a 21 year old, soon to be college graduate", Ziva said in awe.

Tony held her from behind and kissed her cheek softly. Leaning his chin on her shoulder he spoke, "Seems like only yesterday she was running around in diapers and still trying to master the art of eating without getting more food on her shirt than in her mouth."

They both chuckled then Tony pulled back slightly to pull his ringing phone from his pocket. He showed Ziva the caller ID and they both smiled before he answered, "DiNozzo."

 _"I'm pulling up in the driveway now Sir. Just need to change my clothes."_

"Great, front door's open, go change then meet us in the backyard. The party is getting good!"

There was a chuckle then the caller responded, _"Yes, Sir."_

Tony hung up and returned his phone to his pocket.

"Is he here already?" Ziva asked.

"Yup, flight from LA must have been on time. He told me last night he wanted to wear his dress uniforms for the surprise so he's going to go change now. Always the dutiful soldier that guy."

"And quite the romantic", Ziva added. "What do you think Tali will say?"

"As if you don't already know the answer to that Mrs. DiNozzzo", Tony smiled and gave another quick kiss to his wife.

After 15 minutes, the surprise guest emerged through the French doors and stepped out to the backyard being greeted by Tony, "Hey Spy Boy! Welcome back! Good job on finishing that mission early."

Hunter laughed, "Director, good to be back." He looked across the lawn and his eyes landed on an unknowing Tali who was chatting with one of her friends. "I had plenty of motivation to get the job done as quickly as possible."

Tony followed his eyes, "Mmhmm, I bet. You ready for this?"

"Absolutely", Hunter spoke confidently without hesitation.

Ziva walked over to hug Hunter, "Good to see you Agent Amadi. Whenever you're ready."

"Thanks!" He took a deep breath and nodded, "I'm ready now. Wish me luck!"

"You won't need it", Ziva said reassuringly.

They signaled for the music to be lowered and Tony began speaking loudly to the crowd of people, "If I can have everyone's attention please! As a surprise for my baby girl's 21st birthday, my wife and I have called in a very special person who would like to give a very special gift to Tali. If you'd all gather around we'd appreciate it. And Talikins, you come stand in the middle here." Everyone did as ordered and looked on with excitement.

"Thank you", Ziva chimed in. "Before we reveal our surprise guest, we just want to thank you all for being here and celebrating our amazing daughter. All of you have been instrumental in helping shape her into the woman she has become. Tali, we are so proud of you! Words cannot even begin to express how much we love you. And, we pray, that life continues to be one of joy and prosperity for you. Happy birthday Motek!"

Tali smiled through tears of joy and gave both parents a hug.

"As part of our little surprise, we wanted to give you these", Tony handed Tali two sets of keys. "Since you're moving to Paris at the end of the summer, we wanted to make sure you live and get around in style. So, the first set of keys is to your brand new Parisian apartment and that second key is to your brand new car. I believe you will notice the emblem on that key. You did say you wanted a Benz, correct?"

Tali gasped with wide eyes and gave them both another hug as everyone clapped. "Oh my God! You guys are so amazing! Thank you so much!"

"Just no crashing", Ziva joked and they all laughed.

"Now, onto our surprise guest", Tony spoke again. "Spy Boy, get over here!"

Tali dropped the keys in shock as Hunter came from behind the wall of the DiNozzo's NCIS family that had been in on the surprise and blocking Tali's view of him. McGee pat him on the back with pride and Abby pulled out a few tissues from her pocket that she knew she was about to need. Palmer and Bishop just smiled, faces matching the excitement of the rest of the crowd.

When Hunter was halfway to her, Tali closed the gap between them with a light jog and jumped in his arms. The world around them disappeared as they kissed and silently spoke how much they'd missed each other since Hunter had gone on his latest mission. It took Tony dramatically clearing his throat for either of them to breakaway and come back to reality. Hunter chuckled and lowered Tali back down so she was standing on the ground again.

With their foreheads touching, Tali whispered, "I thought you weren't going to make it."

"Finished my mission early. I couldn't miss my lady's birthday could I?" He gave her a peck on the lips then stepped back. After looking over to Tony to get a final nod of approval, Hunter continued so everyone could hear.

"Four years ago, our lives collided together. In the darkness, you became my light. When we tell our story, you always say that I saved you. But really, it was you who saved me. I wouldn't be the man I am without knowing your love and kindness. I wouldn't be the man I am without knowing your strength and courage. I would have never survived my darkest hour had it not been for your beautiful soul. You are my lifeline. And, even though we met under the worst circumstances, I would go through it all again just because I know that in the end WE made it out ... together."

He paused and retrieved a small box for his pocket as he went down on one knee. The gesture eliciting more joyous tears from Tali as she let out a small gasp. He opened the box, revealing a beautiful gold engagement ring with a large diamond in the center which was surrounded by smaller ones that ran down the side of the ring and sparkled brightly under the rays of the setting sun. Grabbing her hand gently, he winked before speaking on.

"They wanted so badly to break us but, instead, they forged the tempered steel that would become our love. For that, I am most thankful. I love you, Tals. Past my heart and beyond my soul. I don't remember what my life was without you but I know what it has become since I've known you. And I am sure, with Allah's grace, that it will only continue to get better with time. That is why I kneel before you now. In front of your parents, ours families, and our friends to ask you to spend eternity with me. My world, Tali DiNozzo, hatinasyi li?"

There was no delay. No hesitation. No need to think it over. Her smile and kiss was enough. It had already spoken the answer before she said, "Yes! Yes I'll marry you!"

Everyone erupted in applause and cheers as Hunter slid the ring on her finger and stood back up, kissing her again softly as they now both shed happy tears. "Perfect fit", he whispered just as he pulled away slightly.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too Tals." He pulled her in for a tight hug and whispered in her ear, "By the way, your abba is transferring me to Paris after our summer vacation. I'll head up the new offices opening so, no more long distance!"

Tali pulled back with the biggest grin. She had no words, only more kisses and sighs of relief.

As they danced the night away and talked about the future, everyone had random moments of thinking about what life could have been had things not turned out the way it did four years ago. In a way, they were all thankful for that case. For the kidnapping and the terrorist attacks. It had brought them all closer together. And even brought in a new family member to love. Life had become better, more than they had ever imagined. Who knew that such pain could eventually produce such joy? Certainly not them ... but then again ... maybe they did know. After all, wasn't it always the hardest, most convoluted cases, that always made them better? Stronger? Wiser? Closer?

Yeah, all of the above. Because, in the end, when you have a team ... no, a family like that ... it's impossible to bring them down. No matter how hard you try, the fact still remains, they will always win. Why? It's simple. They never stop fighting. Never give up searching. Never ones to turn away from those who matter. Never ones to backdown from a challenge. Not scared to risk their lives. They always survive. It's who they are. It's what they do. Even when the vicissitudes of life try to break them down. They pull through with their heads held high because utimately they all carry the same truth: No matter what anyone tries to do to them, they are **_Not Easily Broken_**.

* * *

 **Well my peeps ... that's all for this story.**

 **I just want to say thank you for sticking with me! For all your reviews and support ... it's just been AMAZING!**

 **.**

 **QUICK TRUTHS**

 **1\. This was my first fanfic and I enjoyed every moment of it.**

 **2\. With #1 being said, there is a prequel AND sequel to this story. I will begin posting the prequel tomorrow!**

 **3\. Hunter Amadi was loosely based off of me ... LoL ... in case you were wondering. Sooo, yeah, physical description (man bun, big beard, accent, perfect abs ;-), multilingual ability, religion, motherland, and low key flirt proclivity ... haha ... all me!**

 **4\. Choice of Tali's college, also chosen based on my actual life as I — and my fiancé,** **are Juilliard alumni. Tali's major was my fiancé's major and the proposal is** **what I said to my fiancé when I proposed back in May. Like, completely verbatim ... only difference is that I replaced my fiancé's name with Tali's for the story and I actually asked "will you marry me" in Arabic not Hebrew. LoL! (By the way, maybe I will divulge how she saved my life and what my darkest hour was one day .. wasn't as bad as what Hunter and Tali went through, but it was still pretty crazy. Anyhoo ... it all worked out for the best!)**

 **5\. I just love ya'll! And I hope you read the next story! By the way .. REVIEW!**

 **.**

 **SERIOUSLY, It's been fun peeps!**

 **Later!**

 **\- Chide**


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